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Lawrence R Demarcay News

08 Jun 2010

Don’t Get Burned By a Poorly Implemented Training Program

By Lawrence R. All vessel owners and operators will agree that employee training and education is of prime importance when it comes to running a safe operation. A considerable amount of time, effort, expense and other resources are usually allotted to such programs. Although some programs are implemented with very little fanfare, other programs are often rolled out with a great amount of attention and the highest of expectations. Unfortunately, many of these programs, after the initial enthusiasm has worn off, are often shifted to the back burner and rarely used.

27 May 2009

The Government Made Me Do It

When I was a child, I spent a good part of my time getting into trouble, as most children do. My favorite excuse was “someone else made me do it.” Unfortunately, my father was not a big fan of that excuse and I cannot recall one incident that was overlooked based on this defense. However, the Supreme Court of the United States has carved out such an excuse for equipment manufacturers that sell equipment or supplies to the United States military. This excuse is commonly referred…

06 Mar 2009

Avoid Poorly Implemented Training Programs

Lawrence R. DeMarcay

All vessel owners and operators will agree that employee training and education is of prime importance when it comes to running a safe operation. A considerable amount of time, effort, expense and other resources are usually allotted to such programs. Although some programs are implemented with very little fanfare, other programs are often rolled out with a great amount of attention and the highest of expectations. Unfortunately, many of these programs, after the initial enthusiasm has worn off, are often shifted to the back burner and rarely used.

10 Sep 2008

Settling With An Unrepresented Seaman Making The Settlement Stick

Unfortunately, personal injury claims brought by seamen against vessel owners are part of everyday life in running a boat company. As such, vessel owners have become very sophisticated in the management of these claims. As the cost of litigating these matters is very high, often, the claim's handler will attempt to settle a seaman's personal injury claim prior to his retention of counsel and filing suit. In most cases, this is a win-win for both the employee and the company. The company is able to settle the claim with its employee quickly without engaging counsel or incurring the costs associated with litigation. The employee wins because he is able to keep 100 percent of the settlement without having an attorney take 30 to 40 percent.