Maritime Injury Law Blog

The United States District Court for the Third Circuit has ruled that land based commuter seamen, who eat and sleep ashore, have the same right to maintenance and cure as all other seamen. See Delaware River & Bay Authority v. Kopacz,2009 WL 3064708 (2009). The ruling explicitly stated that, in the Third Circuit, commuter seamen are entitled to maintenance benefits. The decision further held that the receipt of Social Security disability payments does not terminate the right to maintenance and that payments under a long term disability policy did not satisfy the employer’s maintenance obligation.

In the Delaware River Bay Authority case, the seaman was covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement he was to receive full wages for 90 days following his injury and 60% of his wages under a long term disability policy following a lapse of 90 days. The collective bargaining agreement made no mention of the injured seaman’s right to maintenance and cure. Upon learning of the seaman’s receipt of Social Security disability payments, his employer demanded repayment of overlapping long term disability payments.

When seamen receive long term disability payments under an insurance policy funded by his employer, the question that must be resolved is, are these payments part of the seaman’s wage package. Where the long term disability payments may be characterized as part of the seaman’s wages, they will be deemed separate and distinct from the owner’s obligation to pay maintenance under the general maritime law. The absence of a contractual clause indicating the long term disability payments are in lieu of maintenance, those payments should not bar a seaman’s right to maintenance.

A housekeeper aboard a river boat casino and hotel has been ruled to be a Jones Act seaman by the Iowa Court of Appeals. The housekeeper fell on ice while taking trash out of the casino’s trash compacter. She sought workers compensation benefits under Iowa’s Workers Compensation Act. The Court held that because the floating river boat casino was capable of navigation, the housekeeper’s claim fell under Federal Maritime Law.

Relying upon the Supreme Court of the United States decision in Stewart v. Dutra Construction 543 U.S. 481 (2005), the Iowa Court found that the river boat casino “was capable of being used as a means of transportation upon water” and noted that the vessel need not be used primarily for that purpose. Although it was admitted that the river boat casino did not ply the waters of the Missouri River, there was no evidence that the river boat casino was not capable of being used as a vessel in navigation, and therefore had not lost its character as a vessel in navigation because it was not permanently moored. The river boat casino had a captain and mate and was capable of sailing within 90 minutes if it so chose. The fact that the vessel and the housekeeper did not regularly sail was not determinative of whether or not the floating casino was a “vessel in navigation.”

In most instances a crewman will receive greater benefits under the Jones Act than under State workers compensation acts. Seamen are entitled to maintenance and cure benefits, and where injured through negligence or unseaworthiness may obtain compensation for lost past and future wages, lost wage earning capacity, pain and suffering, and medical expenses.

Seamen working on charter vessels, cruise ships, and excursion vessels frequently receive tips in addition to their salaries. When crewmen are injured or become ill in the service of their vessels, under the General Maritime Law they are entitled to receive unearned wages until the end of the voyage. The length of the voyage may be determined by contract, or where there is no contract by the length of the season or by verbal agreements.

Tips received by crewmen on many of these vessels constitute a large part of the crewman’s salary. Under maritime law, passenger tips to crewmen should be included in calculating unearned wages. This very issue was addressed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Flores v. Carnival Cruise 47 F.3d 1120 (1995). Although the Court applied maritime law to this issue, in deciding the case the Court noted that State Workers Compensation Acts routinely recognize tips as part of workers wages. The Court held that tips are wages and that the seaman’s right to unearned wages should include the full amount of money to be paid to a seaman during a voyage.

When a seaman is injured or becomes ill while working aboard a vessel, receiving his wages for the length of the voyage that he would have been on but for his injury or illness is an important basic benefit. The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey & Jacobsen are dedicated to protecting seamen’s rights, and getting seamen full and fair compensation for their injuries.