If you work in the shipping industry in New York, you have likely heard of the Jones Act. You may even have strong feelings about it. You wouldn't be alone. Many people have boisterous opinions about this law from the 1920s. Most of them feel it is time to retire it...
Year: 2017
Recreational boat deaths on the rise across U.S.
With recreational boating season in full swing across the country, the Coast Guard and local officials are encouraging boaters to wear life jackets and avoid drinking while operating their boats. There's data behind these warnings: according to a recent Coast Guard...
Boating and alcohol: a bad combination
Because boating is typically seen as a recreational activity, New Yorkers may assume that the laws concerning alcohol behind the wheel of a boat are not as stringent as those restricting car drivers. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, though, boating under the...
Vessel owners’ duties to longshoremen
Any employee in New York has a right to expect a company to ensure safe working conditions. Likewise, you should be able to trust that the owners of the vessels you load and unload will do what they can to maintain your safety. We at the law firm of Tabak, Mellusi...
Collision between ship and destroyer still under investigation
New York seamen aboard vessels around the world are subject to a number of risks that people in occupations on land never encounter. Accidents have the potential to be much deadlier when stranded in the open ocean, particularly when, as is frequently the case, rescue...
What is maintenance and cure?
Workers in New York can typically receive compensation for on-the-job injuries through workers’ compensation. As a seaman, this coverage is not available for you. However, according to the U.S. Courts for the Ninth Circuit, federal law does require your employer to...
Recovering from a boating accident
When it comes to boating accidents, there are a myriad of ways that things can go wrong. For example, you may be hurt while working on a fishing boat, or you could sustain an injury or lose a loved one in an incident that occurs on a cruise ship. At Tabak,...
Report: Crew fatigue likely caused Hudson River tugboat sinking
If you work on the water, you are probably familiar with working hard while short on sleep. But exhaustion can affect your judgment and lead to disaster, especially when coupled with bad weather and other challenges.It now appears that crewmember fatigue was one of...
On a course toward unmanned cargo ships
The day when a ship may leave a port in New York without a crew member aboard is out there, although the exact date is still up in the air. According to IEEE Spectrum, designers are currently working on the technology to make unmanned cargo ships a reality, and trial...
New York laws for boat operators
It may seem as if the wide-open spaces of New York waterways would lessen the risk of a collision or other accident. The vulnerability of boating passengers out on the water can turn even a small incident into a major catastrophe, though. New York has instated laws...