The U. S. Fifth Circuit recently held that an injured seaman was precluded from recovering maintenance and cure where he intentionally provided false information during a pre-employment physical conducted by a previous employer that was later acquired by his current employer. Although the current employer did not conduct its own pre-employment physical, the Fifth Circuit
Maritime Personal Injury
When In Doubt, File the Limitation Complaint (Part III): The Test Is Reasonable Possibility
On December 3, 2014, the Fifth Circuit, in In re: RLB Contracting, Inc., No. 14–40326 (5th Cir. Dec. 3, 2014), concluded that an ongoing exchange of correspondence between counsel for a dredge involved in a maritime casualty and counsel for the wrongful death and personal injury claimants satisfied both prongs of the “reasonable…
Don’t Stress, You’re Not Covered: Court Denies Recovery Under Jones Act for Work-Related Stress
A SPAR Is Not a Vessel, but Is a SPAR a Building?

Are SPAR platforms immoveable buildings? On April 9, 2014, Judge Rebecca Doherty issued a memorandum ruling in Hefren v. Murphy Exploration & Production Co., USA, et al., that they are, meaning in Louisiana a five-year window to bring…
The Fifth Circuit Restates Three Duties Vessel Owners Owe Longshore Employees
Under Section 905(b) of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (“LHWCA”), a vessel owner owes three duties to longshore employees. In October 2012, the Fifth Circuit granted a summary judgment dismissing serious personal injury claims a cargo supervisor filed under LHWCA because the defendants had not breached any of these three duties. In doing…