Workers Compensation Insurance

Great Lakes Shipyard Receives Safety Award

Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio, has received the 2009 – 2010 Industry Leader Safety Award from the Signal Mutual Indemnity Association. This is the second time in recent years that the Great Lakes Shipyard was chosen to receive this award because of their outstanding safety performance with no “lost time” accidents. The shipyard’s commitment to safety is not new. The previous outstanding safety award was presented in 2004 - 2005. The company attributes its successful performance over the years to its extensive internal safety policies and training programs. Signal is the largest provider of Longshore and Harbor workers compensation insurance benefits in the United States. Longshore and Harbor workers compensation insurance is applicable to workers employed in shipyards and engaged in vessel construction and ship repair, as well as in other marine related occupations who are not eligible for state workers compensation insurance or Jone’s Act coverage, the later reserved for seafarers on board vessels as crewmen. Great Lakes Shipyard, a division of The Great Lakes Towing Company, operates a full-service shipyard and drydock in Cleveland, Ohio, specializes in all types of marine construction and vessel repairs including tugs, supply boats, ferries, barges, excursion vessels, dinner boats, research vessels, large yachts, and off-site topside work of every kind

How to Indentify a Jones Act Seaman

By Jeffrey S. Moller The maritime law community is awaiting the next pronouncement by the U.S. Supreme Court pertaining to the definition of a Jones Act seaman. In February, the high court announced that it would review the decision of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Stewart v. Dutra Construction Co., Inc. The definition of seaman has proven to be a nagging problem; this will be the fifth time since 1991 that the Justices have tackled some aspect of the question.

New Rules for Oil Spill Compensation Enter Force

Increased levels of compensation will be available for victims of oil pollution from oil tanker accidents on 3 March 2005 with the entry into force of the 2003 Protocol establishing an International Oil Pollution Compensation Supplementary Fund. The Fund will supplement the compensation available under the 1992 Civil Liability Convention (CLC) and the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (FUND), with an additional

China’s Oil Pollution Laws Worth Watching

The UK P&I Club offered the following briefing on Chinese marine pollution law. Ship owners and operators trading in Chinese waters face an extensive set of new legal and regulatory requirements governing their roles and responsibilities in oil pollution incidents. China’s Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships Regulation was implemented on 1st March 2010. It dovetails with the Marine Environment Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China

Braving the Human Element in Safety

The maritime industry is notorious for braving the elements.   One element however — the human one — poses greater safety risk than rough seas or gale-force winds and is requiring more companies to take an aggressive approach in emphasizing every employee’s role in their risk management efforts.   While maritime companies have developed technologically sophisticated hull designs, stability systems, propulsion systems, and navigational equipment

Insurance Advice for Marinas & Shipyards

McDermott Costa Insurance Brokers offers risk-reducing advice to marinas & shipyards regarding third party vendors   Third party service providers can pose serious risk and liabilities for marina and shipyard owners. Without the proper due diligence these marine companies could find themselves footing large bills should a dispute occur.   As a California insurance agency that specializes in ocean marine insurance for boat yards, marinas, yacht clubs

Committee Cuts $250M from Navy’s Hurricane Aid Request

The House appropriators’ decision to slash $250 million from the Navy’s funding request to aid Gulf Coast shipyards ravaged by Hurricane Katrina is worrying Navy officials who fear the move can result in shipbuilding delays and cost increases, The Hill reported. But House appropriators will likely have to debate with their Senate counterparts during conference negotiations over supplemental spending bills for the war on terrorism and disaster assistance

Union President Not Engaged in Maritime Employment Under LHWCA

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that a union president is not engaged in maritime employment for purposes of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). In the instant case, the claimant filed an application in 2000 for benefits under the LHWCA, alleging hearing loss, which he ascribed to his work as a container repair mechanic. Claimant ceased work as a mechanic in 1996 when he became a full-time president of Local 1970 of the International

European Ship Passengers Have Rights Too

Europeans better protected legally when travelling by water from now onwards. As from 31 December 2012, passengers travelling by sea will have the right to claim compensation for loss or damage in the event of accidents. Passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways in the EU, and in particular disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, will benefit from similar rights to those passengers travelling by air or by train. These new rights include:  

Understanding the Ups and Downs of Insurance

Business is cyclical, and nowhere is there more evidence of its cyclical nature than in the insurance market, characterized by ups and downs in insurance premiums, coverages and profitability. By most accounts, the current insurance market has been one of the most competitive in recent memory.  With intense price-cutting and expanding coverages, these conditions are typical of a “soft” market which is very much a buyers’ market