When a maritime worker is injured at sea, determining who qualifies as the employer can be more complicated than checking the payroll. In an article for WorkBoat, Galloway maritime attorneys Trent Wallis and Jacob Soto discuss the liability questions facing vessel operators and maritime staffing companies when workers are supplied through third-party arrangements.
Drawing on a recent summary judgment victory for a maritime staffing company, Wallis and Soto explain how employment relationships, the borrowed-employee doctrine, and contractual defense and indemnity provisions can shape the outcome of an injury claim.
The article also outlines practical steps for reviewing staffing agreements, documenting working relationships, and coordinating insurance coverage before an incident occurs.
“Aligning the contract with operational practice before an incident occurs is far less costly than sorting out those questions in litigation afterward,” Wallis and Soto write.
