There has been an extensive history of conflict between dockworkers and the associations that represent shipping companies and port terminal operators. In fact, as far back as the Great Depression, during a time when some striking dockworkers were actually slain, dockworkers and the opposing associ …
READ MORETwo of the scariest words you can hear while on the water are the dreaded, “Man overboard.” Now imagine working aboard a boat and a crew member falls overboard. Do you know what to do if you hear those terrifying words? Worse yet, what if it is you who h …
READ MOREThe glory days of the cruise ship vacation has seemingly passed. With cruise ships having been in the media so much as of late due to poor conditions, captain error and more, it’s little wonder why many people would rather vacation using other means. Case in point, in a 2013 case, the plaintiff wan …
READ MOREWhen working on the seas there are a few things you should expect – Seasonal employment? Check. Long hours? Absolutely. Vigorous work? You bet. But getting sick? No way Jose! Regrettably, it is a growing expectation for all seamen. Overexertion and repeated contact with infected objects and …
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In many peoples eyes, the Jones Act is a vastly superior compensation scheme than workers compensation. While there are some benefits to workers compensation, such as certainty of payments, little delay, and a no fault system, many individuals prefer the vastly superior damages spectrum under the Jo …
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If a coworker is injured or killed and his/her attorney or investigator asks you for a witness statement regarding the facts, you are protected. You are even protected if you give photos. A special law gives coworkers protection from employer retaliation for voluntarily giving information concerni …
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Plaintiff was the chief engineer on the Defendant’s flagship vessel when on December 16, 2011 he was thrown in with a make-up rush job crew on another vessel to travel a day and a half out in the Gulf of Mexico in order to tend to another of the Defendant’s vessel that was sinking. The make-up vess …
READ MOREYou wouldn’t go to a drunk driving lawyer for a divorce, so why wouldn’t anybody in their right mind go to a non-maritime lawyer for a Jones Act case? Dennis M. O’Bryan is a Proctor in Admiralty, which means that he has been certified by the Maritime Law Association of the United States as a recogn …
READ MOREPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a form of emotional distress. Special rules apply in order to recover damages for emotional distress under the Jones Act and FELA. It is a prerequisite that an individual claiming damages for emotional distress under the Jones Act (for injured maritim …
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