As a result of the recent oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, Congress is proposing legislation that would amend a number of the country’s maritime laws. According to experts quoted in an article in the New York Times, this body of law is outdated and inconsistent because it has evolved in a piecemeal fashion over a long period of time.
Among the laws slated for an overhaul are the Death on the High Seas Act, which makes it difficult for family members of those killed on the seas to recover significant damages; the Jones Act, which governs death and injury claims by seamen; and the Limitation of Liability Act, which the owner of the rig involved in the Gulf incident is using to claim that its liability should be capped.
For more, read the full article here.
