Title: Wilson Lamar Frazier v. Core Industries, Inc.

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

REL: 12/04/2009 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1060016 
Wilson Lamar F r a z i e r 
v. 
Core I n d u s t r i e s , Inc. 
Appeal from Mobile C i r c u i t 
Court 
(CV-05-2151) 
MURDOCK, 
J u s t i c e . 
T h i s c a s e i n v o l v e s c l a i m s b y W i l s o n Lamar F r a z i e r a g a i n s t 
C o r e I n d u s t r i e s , I n c . 
( " C o r e " ) , u n d e r t h e 
J o n e s A c t , 46 
U.S.C. 
1060016 
§ 6 8 8 ,
1 
a n d a l s o 
e n t a i l s 
c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e L o n g s h o r e a n d 
H a r b o r W o r k e r s ' C o m p e n s a t i o n A c t ("LHWCA"), 3 3 U.S.C. § 901 
e t 
s e q .
2 
F r a z i e r a p p e a l s f r o m a summary j u d g m e n t 
e n t e r e d b y 
t h e 
M o b i l e 
C i r c u i t C o u r t i n f a v o r o f C o r e . 
We 
a f f i r m . 
I . 
F a c t s a n d P r o c e d u r a l 
H i s t o r y 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t made t h e f o l l o w i n g 
f a c t u a l 
f i n d i n g s , 
w h i c h F r a z i e r does n o t d i s p u t e : 
" 1 . 
C o r e i s 
i n 
t h e b u s i n e s s o f o f f l o a d i n g o r 
u n l o a d i n g 
m a t e r i a l s a n d e q u i p m e n t 
f r o m b a r g e s a n d 
s h i p s t o l a n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] b e g a n w o r k i n g f o r 
C o r e i n 
l a t e - 2 0 0 3 , e a r l y - 2 0 0 4 . [ F r a z i e r ] 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t he 
was 
h i r e d 
d i r e c t l y b y Morgan M y l e s a n d J o h n W a t s o n , 
e m p l o y e e s o f C o r e . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
a l s o 
c l a i m s 
t h a t he 
was 
an e m p l o y e e 
o f P i n n a c l e 
Management 
S e r v i c e s 
( ' P i n n a c l e ' ) . 
The r e c o r d s on 
f i l e 
i n d i c a t e 
t h a t 
C o r e l e a s e d t h e s e r v i c e s o f [ F r a z i e r ] f r o m 
P i n n a c l e 
and 
t h a t 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
r e c e i v e d 
h i s p a y c h e c k 
f r o m 
P i n n a c l e . 
C o r e h i r e d 
[ F r a z i e r ] t o w o r k as a w e l d e r 
and 
p a i d 
h i m 
s k i l l e d 
w e l d e r ' s 
p a y , w h i c h 
was 
c o n s i d e r a b l y 
h i g h e r 
t h a n what C o r e 
p a i d t h e c r e w s 
t h a t r e g u l a r l y w o r k e d i n i t s o f f l o a d i n g 
o p e r a t i o n . 
"2. 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
f i r s t 
j o b f o r C o r e 
was 
' [ p ] u t t i n g 
a 
t a i l 
on a 
b a r g e ' b y w e l d i n g two 
s e c t i o n s 
o f a b a r g e 
t o g e t h e r . 
The b a r g e 
t h a t 
1 I n 2 0 0 6 , t h e J o n e s A c t 
was amended a n d r e n u m b e r e d as 46 
U.S.C. § 3 0 1 0 4 . 
2 " T h e 
J o n e s A c t p r o v i d e s 
t o r t 
r e m e d i e s 
t o 
s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s , 
w h i l e 
t h e LHWCA 
p r o v i d e s 
w o r k e r s ' 
c o m p e n s a t i o n t o l a n d - b a s e d m a r i t i m e e m p l o y e e s . " 
S t e w a r t v .  
D u t r a C o n s t r . Co., 543 U.S. 4 8 1 , 
488 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . 
"The LHWCA a n d 
t h e 
J o n e s A c t 
a r e ' m u t u a l l y e x c l u s i v e ' " c o m p e n s a t i o n s c h e m e s . 
H a r b o r Tug & B a r g e Co. v . P a p a i , 520 U.S. 5 4 8 , 
553 ( 1 9 9 7 ) . 
2 
1060016 
[ F r a z i e r ] was w o r k i n g on was ' d o c k e d up t o t h e s i d e 
o f t h e d o c k ' i n t h e T h e o d o r e 
I n d u s t r i a l C a n a l . 
The 
b a r g e was a n c h o r e d so i t 
w o u l d n o t s h i f t o r move i n 
t h e w a t e r . 
[ F r a z i e r ] w o r k e d on t h i s p r o j e c t f o r s i x 
t o e i g h t w e e k s . 
"3. 
D u r i n g t h e b a r g e 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
p r o j e c t , 
[ F r a z i e r ] w o u l d go home e v e r y n i g h t 
a f t e r w o r k and 
w o u l d come b a c k i n t h e m o r n i n g . 
[ F r a z i e r ] d i d 
n o t 
e a t o r s l e e p on t h e b a r g e . 
The b a r g e d i d 
n o t h a v e 
a b a t h r o o m o r l i v i n g q u a r t e r s , i t 
was ' j u s t a p l a i n 
b a r g e . ' 
[ F r a z i e r ] c o u l d g e t on and o f f t h e b a r g e 
s i m p l y by u s i n g a w a l k w a y t h a t c o n n e c t e d t h e b a r g e 
t o t h e d o c k . 
The b a r g e d i d n o t h a v e an e n g i n e , 
n a v i g a t i o n a l e q u i p m e n t , o r any means o f p r o p u l s i o n . 
"4. 
[ F r a z i e r ] c l a i m s 
t h a t w h i l e he was w o r k i n g 
on t h i s b a r g e , he s l i p p e d w h i l e 
c a r r y i n g a p i e c e o f 
s t e e l 
o n t o t h e b a r g e . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
a l l e g e s 
t h a t he 
h u r t h i s 
b a c k when he s l i p p e d and f e l l on t h e b a r g e . 
[ F r a z i e r ] d i d n o t s e e k m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t f o l l o w i n g 
t h e 
a c c i d e n t and c o n t i n u e d 
t o w o r k f o r C o r e . 
"5. 
A f t e r 
t h e b a r g e 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
p r o j e c t , 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
n e x t p r o j e c t f o r C o r e was t o r e p a i r a 
c r a n e 
t h a t h a d ' r u s t e d o u t . ' T h i s 
r e p a i r j o b was 
done 
on 
l a n d . 
D u r i n g 
t h i s 
same 
t i m e 
f r a m e , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
a l s o 
h e l p e d 
C o r e 
i n s t a l l 
c e r t a i n 
e q u i p m e n t , 
i n c l u d i n g a c o n v e y o r , on t h e b a r g e 
t h a t 
he h a d h e l p e d b u i l d . 
When he was 
i n s t a l l i n g t h e 
c o n v e y o r , t h e b a r g e was ' s p u d d e d down and t i e d [ t o 
t h e 
d o c k ] . '
[ 3 ] 
D u r i n g 
t h i s 
t i m e , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
was 
s t i l l 
w o r k i n g d u r i n g 
t h e d a y and r e t u r n i n g t o 
h i s 
h o u s e e v e r y 
n i g h t . 
3 S p u d s a r e v e r t i c a l s t e e l s h a f t s t h a t c a n be l o w e r e d f r o m 
a b a r g e t o h o l d i t 
i n p l a c e . 
3 
1060016 
"6. 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] n e x t j o b f o r 
C o r e was b u i l d i n g 
a h o p p e r .
[ 4 ] 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
h e l p e d b u i l d t h e h o p p e r on 
C o r e ' s d o c k i n T h e o d o r e , 
w h i c h i s ' o n l a n d . ' 
T h i s 
p r o j e c t 
t o o k 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y a month 
a n d a 
h a l f . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
t h e n 
b u i l t 
a new s e t o f s p u d s 
f o r t h e 
b a r g e 
t h a t he h a d w o r k e d on when he 
f i r s t 
s t a r t e d 
w i t h C o r e . 
T h i s p r o j e c t was a l s o done on l a n d . 
I t 
t o o k [ F r a z i e r ] a p p r o x i m a t e l y t h r e e weeks t o c o m p l e t e 
t h e 
s p u d s . 
"7. 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] n e x t j o b f o r 
C o r e was w e l d i n g 
new l e g s on a h o p p e r , w h i c h was a l s o done on l a n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] c l a i m s t h a t he s u f f e r e d a s e c o n d 
a c c i d e n t 
w h i l e 
he 
was 
w e l d i n g 
t h e 
l e g s 
on 
t h e 
h o p p e r . 
[ F r a z i e r ] c l a i m s t h a t he h a d f i n i s h e d w i t h h i s w e l d 
and 
was 
l o o k i n g 
f o r a 
c h i p p i n g 
hammer 
when 
he 
a c c i d e n t a l l y s t e p p e d o f f 
t h e e n d o f a s c a f f o l d b o a r d 
and 
f e l l t o t h e g r o u n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] c o n t i n u e d w o r k i n g 
t h a t d a y and d i d n o t s e e k m e d i c a l a t t e n t i o n as a 
r e s u l t o f t h e a c c i d e n t . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
c l a i m s t h a t he 
i n j u r e d h i s b a c k and l e g 
i n t h i s 
a c c i d e n t . 
"8. 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] n e x t j o b f o r 
C o r e was c h a n g i n g 
p i p e s , 
h o s e s , a n d h y d r a u l i c 
l i n e s on a c r a n e 
t h a t 
was on a b a r g e . 
The b a r g e was a n c h o r e d a t C o r e ' s 
S a r a l a n d 
f a c i l i t y . 
T h i s j o b t o o k f o u r o r f i v e d a y s . 
"9. 
A f t e r w o r k i n g on t h e c r a n e , [ F r a z i e r ] n e x t 
b u i l t ramps t h a t w o u l d a l l o w dump t r u c k s t o p u l l up 
t o t h e b a r g e s f o r 
e a s e o f l o a d i n g . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
b u i l t 
t h e 
ramps 
i n C o r e ' s 
m e c h a n i c 
shop 
i n 
S a r a l a n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] s p e n t t h r e e weeks b u i l d i n g t h e ramps. 
"10. 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
c l a i m s 
t h a t 
w h i l e 
he 
was 
b u i l d i n g t h e ramps, he h a d t o h e l p 
s h i f t one b a r g e 
down 
t h e b a n k 
a t 
C o r e ' s 
f a c i l i t y 
i n 
S a r a l a n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
t e s t i f i e d t h a t C o r e e m p l o y e e s u s e d a c r a n e 
t o 
move t h e b a r g e and he h e l p e d s e c u r e t h e b a r g e 
4 A c c o r d i n g t o t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r , 
" [ a ] h o p p e r i s 
r e p o r t e d 
t o be a f u n n e l - s h a p e d r e c e p t a c l e 
f o r d e l i v e r i n g 
m a t e r i a l s u c h a s g r a i n o r c o a l . " 
4 
1060016 
when i t was moved t o t h e p r o p e r p o s i t i o n . 
The b a r g e 
t h a t was moved d i d 
n o t have an e n g i n e o r any f o r m o f 
p r o p u l s i o n , d i d n o t h a v e r u d d e r s o r k e e l s , and 
d i d 
n o t h a v e n a v i g a t i o n a l 
l i g h t s . 
" 1 1 . 
[ F r a z i e r ] o r d i n a r i l y w o r k e d f r o m 6:30 a.m. 
t o 
3:30 p.m. 
f o r C o r e , 
w i t h 
an h o u r 
f o r l u n c h . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
d i d n o t o r d i n a r i l y 
t a k e h i s m e a l s 
on a 
b o a t and w o u l d r e t u r n t o h i s 
home e v e r y n i g h t 
a f t e r 
w o r k . 
"12. 
W h i l e 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
s p e n t some t i m e on b a r g e s 
f o r C o r e d o i n g w e l d i n g t a s k s s u c h as r e p a i r i n g ramps 
o r 
f i x i n g 
h o p p e r s , he was n e v e r on a b a r g e when i t 
was 
b e i n g 
p u s h e d 
b y 
a 
t o w b o a t 
and 
was 
o n l y 
o c c a s i o n a l l y on b a r g e s when t h e y were moved 
w i t h 
c r a n e s . 
The 
f a r t h e s t 
d i s t a n c e 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
e v e r 
t r a v e l e d when a b a r g e was b e i n g moved b y a c r a n e was 
a r o u n d 500 y a r d s , w h i c h t o o k a p p r o x i m a t e l y an h o u r 
t o move.
 
[ 5 ] 
"13. W h i l e 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t he d i d 
some 
' d e c k h a n d ' w o r k f o r C o r e , he d e f i n e d a d e c k h a n d as 
a ' l a b o r e r . ' 
As a l a b o r e r , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
s a i d he w o u l d 
' r u n 
a s h o v e l , ' g r e a s e a c r a n e , o r ' w h a t e v e r 
n e e d s 
t o 
be d o n e . ' 
E v e n when 
[ F r a z i e r ] was p e r f o r m i n g 
' d e c k h a n d ' 
d u t i e s 
(as he d e s c r i b e d 
t h e m ) , 
he was 
a r r i v i n g 
a t 
t h e j o b 
s i t e 
i n t h e 
m o r n i n g 
and 
r e t u r n i n g t o h i s home a t n i g h t . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
n e v e r 
r o d e on a b a r g e o u t o f town and t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t t h e 
b a r g e s 
he 
w o r k e d 
on 
were 
n o t 
d e s i g n e d 
f o r 
n a v i g a t i o n , t h e y were w o r k p l a t f o r m s . 
"14. 
On one o c c a s i o n , 
[ F r a z i e r ] h a d t o r e p a i r 
t h e 
c o n v e y o r on a b a r g e 
t h a t was i n D e s t i n . 
To do 
t h i s , 
he l o a d e d h i s own 
t r u c k 
w i t h 
e q u i p m e n t 
and 
d r o v e t o D e s t i n . 
He d i d 
n o t s p e n d t h e n i g h t on t h e 
5 F r a z i e r made a p p r o x i m a t e l y 40 " t r i p s " on C o r e b a r g e s t h a t 
were 
p u l l i n g 
t h e m s e l v e s 
a l o n g t h e s h o r e l i n e 
u s i n g a 
c r a n e 
d u r i n g h i s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 18 months o f e m p l o y m e n t w i t h 
C o r e . 
These 
" t r i p s " 
l a s t e d b e t w e e n 30 m i n u t e s and an h o u r 
e a c h . 
5 
1060016 
b a r g e . 
When [ F r a z i e r ] was w o r k i n g on e q u i p m e n t on 
a b a r g e 
t h a t was i n an o f f l o a d i n g 
o p e r a t i o n , t h e 
b a r g e 
w o u l d 
o r d i n a r i l y be a n c h o r e d down 
w i t h t h e 
s p u d s i n t h e down p o s i t i o n , and t h e b a r g e w o u l d 
a l s o 
be moored o r t i e d t o t h e d o c k . 
" 1 5 . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
d o e s 
n o t h o l d 
a n y m a r i t i m e 
l i c e n s e s . 
[ F r a z i e r ] h a s n e v e r w o r k e d as a c a p t a i n 
o r a p i l o t , and h a s n e v e r w o r k e d as a d e c k h a n d on a 
b o a t i n n a v i g a t i o n . 
[ F r a z i e r ] h a s n e v e r 
r e c e i v e d 
a n y n a v i g a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g o r m a n - o v e r b o a r d 
t r a i n i n g . 
[ F r a z i e r ] h a s n e v e r w o r k e d on b a r g e 
t h a t h a s b e e n 
o p e r a t e d b y some k i n d o f p r o p u l s i o n , o t h e r t h a n a 
c r a n e m o v i n g a b a r g e down t h e s h o r e l i n e . 
O t h e r t h a n 
t h e 
b a r g e 
t h a t 
he 
b u i l t 
when 
he 
f i r s t 
s t a r t e d 
w o r k i n g f o r 
C o r e , [ F r a z i e r ] was n o t a s s i g n e d t o a n y 
one b a r g e . 
" 1 6 . 
[ F r a z i e r ] w o u l d n o r m a l l y r e p o r t t o w o r k a t 
C o r e ' s m e c h a n i c shop i n 
S a r a l a n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] c a r r i e d 
some o f h i s own e q u i p m e n t when he w o r k e d f o r C o r e , 
w h i c h i n c l u d e d hand 
t o o l s , h a m m e r s , c h i s e l s , 
s a f e t y 
g l a s s e s , a w e l d i n g h o o d , b u r n i n g 
g o g g l e s , g l o v e s , 
w r e n c h e s , 
and 
p l y e r s 
[ s i c ] . 
C o r e 
f u r n i s h e d 
[ F r a z i e r ] w i t h a w e l d i n g m a c h i n e , w e l d i n g r o d s , and 
a t o r c h and g a s . 
"17. 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
c l a i m s 
t h a t 
he h a d a 
t h i r d 
a c c i d e n t w h i l e w o r k i n g f o r 
C o r e when he was i n G u l f 
S h o r e s h e l p i n g a c o - w o r k e r c h a n g e o u t a b u c k e t on a 
c r a n e . 
B e f o r e c h a n g i n g o u t t h e b u c k e t , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
was 
h e l p i n g t h e c o - w o r k e r , who was 
o p e r a t i n g t h e 
c r a n e , p u t t h e s p u d s 
on t h e b a r g e 
i n t o 
t h e down 
p o s i t i o n . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
s a i d 
t h a t when he was 
p u l l i n g 
on a r o p e t o g e t t h e b a r g e i n t o p o s i t i o n t o d r o p t h e 
s p u d s , he s l i p p e d and h u r t h i s b a c k .
[ 6 ] 
A f t e r t h e 
s p u d s 
were 
p u t 
i n t o 
p l a c e , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
and t h e 
6 F r a z i e r a n d t h e c o w o r k e r w e r e 
a t t e m p t i n g t o p u l l t h e 
b a r g e up a g a i n s t a d o c k a n d w e r e a f e w f e e t f r o m t h e d o c k when 
F r a z i e r 
s l i p p e d . 
6 
1060016 
c o - w o r k e r c h a n g e d o u t 
t h e 
b u c k e t s on l a n d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
s a i d he was on t h e 
b a r g e f o r a b o u t 35 m i n u t e s . 
"18. 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] w o r k c o n s i s t e d 
p r i m a r i l y o f 
b a r g e 
r e p a i r a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d r e l a t e d 
w e l d i n g 
s e r v i c e s . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t i n a d d i t i o n t o 
b a r g e c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d r e p a i r , t h e r e were 
o c c a s i o n s 
where he h a d t o m a n e u v e r a n d moor b a r g e s . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
a l s o 
t e s t i f i e d 
t h a t 
i n h i s e s t i m a t i o n , he 
s p e n t 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y s i x t y - f i v e p e r c e n t o f h i s t i m e w o r k i n g 
on 
b a r g e s . 
"19. 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
c l a i m s 
t h a t he s u f f e r e d 
t h r e e 
s u c c e s s i v e 
i n j u r i e s 
w h i l e 
w o r k i n g f o r 
C o r e , two 
o f 
w h i c h 
o c c u r r e d 
w h i l e he was w o r k i n g on o r a r o u n d 
b a r g e s . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
f i l e d 
a L o n g s h o r e 
a n d H a r b o r 
W o r k e r s ' 
C o m p e n s a t i o n A c t ( h e r e i n a f t e r 'LHWCA' o r 
' l o n g s h o r e ' ) 
c l a i m 
a g a i n s t 
P i n n a c l e 
Management 
S e r v i c e s 
r e l a t i n g t o t h e same t h r e e 
a c c i d e n t s 
t h a t 
a r e 
a t 
i s s u e 
i n t h i s 
c a s e . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
r e c e n t l y 
s e t t l e d h i s l o n g s h o r e c l a i m a g a i n s t 
P i n n a c l e a n d i s 
now 
r e c e i v i n g l o n g s h o r e b e n e f i t s f r o m 
P i n n a c l e . "
7 
7 T h e r e c o r d on a p p e a l c o n t a i n s a l e t t e r f r o m an a t t o r n e y 
f o r 
P i n n a c l e Management S e r v i c e s 
c o n c e r n i n g F r a z i e r ' s LHWCA 
c l a i m 
a g a i n s t 
P i n n a c l e . 
I n t h e l e t t e r , P i n n a c l e 
c o n f i r m e d 
t h a t i t 
was i n i t i a t i n g t h e p a y m e n t o f b e n e f i t s t o F r a z i e r 
u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA a n d t h a t i t was a g r e e i n g 
f o r t h e 
m a t t e r t o 
be 
" r e m a n d e d 
f r o m t h e A d m i n i s t r a t i v e 
Law J u d g e 
b a c k t o t h e 
[ U n i t e d S t a t e s ] D e p a r t m e n t o f 
L a b o r . " I n h i s a p p e l l a t e 
b r i e f , 
F r a z i e r 
r e f e r s 
t o t h i s 
l e t t e r 
a s t h e a g r e e m e n t 
w h e r e b y 
P i n n a c l e a c c e p t e d h i s LHWCA c l a i m . 
F r a z i e r s t a t e s t h a t " [ t ] h e 
a g r e e m e n t was l a t e r m e m o r i a l i z e d i n 
a C o u r t o r d e r b y J u d g e L e e 
Romero, o f 
t h e 
O f f i c e o f A d m i n i s t r a t i v e Law J u d g e s , a f t e r 
t h e 
n o t i c e o f a p p e a l [ i n t h e p r e s e n t c a s e ] was f i l e d . " 
( F r a z i e r ' s 
b r i e f , a t 14.) I n a n o t h e r p a r t o f h i s b r i e f , 
F r a z i e r 
s t a t e s 
t h a t LHWCA " [ b ] e n e f i t s w e r e a w a r d e d a n d [ h e ] 
i s c u r r e n t l y 
r e c e i v i n g t h e 
same." 
( F r a z i e r ' s b r i e f , a t 
11.) 
The p a y m e n t o f b e n e f i t s u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA d o e s n o t p r e c l u d e 
a p e r s o n f r o m 
f i l i n g a c l a i m u n d e r t h e J o n e s 
A c t . 
7 
1060016 
" I t 
i s b y now 
' u n i v e r s a l l y 
a c c e p t e d ' 
t h a t 
an 
e m p l o y e e who r e c e i v e s v o l u n t a r y p a y m e n t s u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA w i t h o u t a f o r m a l 
a w a r d i s n o t b a r r e d 
f r o m 
s u b s e q u e n t l y 
s e e k i n g 
r e l i e f 
u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t . 
T h i s i s 
s o , q u i t e o b v i o u s l y , b e c a u s e t h e 
q u e s t i o n o f 
c o v e r a g e h a s n e v e r 
a c t u a l l y b e e n 
l i t i g a t e d . 
The 
LHWCA c l e a r l y d o e s n o t c o m p r e h e n d s u c h a p r e c l u s i v e 
e f f e c t , as i t s p e c i f i c a l l y p r o v i d e s t h a t a n y amounts 
p a i d t o 
an e m p l o y e e 
f o r t h e 
same i n j u r y , 
d i s a b i l i t y , 
o r d e a t h p u r s u a n t t o 
t h e 
J o n e s A c t s h a l l be c r e d i t e d 
a g a i n s t a n y l i a b i l i t y i m p o s e d b y t h e 
LHWCA." 
S o u t h w e s t 
M a r i n e , 
I n c . v . 
G i z o n i , 
502 U.S. 8 1 , 91-92 
( 1 9 9 1 ) ( c i t a t i o n s o m i t t e d ; e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) ; s e e a l s o 33 U.S.C. 
§ 9 1 4 ( a ) 
( p r o v i d i n g f o r t h e 
p a y m e n t o f c o m p e n s a t i o n u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA 
" w i t h o u t an a w a r d , 
e x c e p t 
w h e r e 
l i a b i l i t y 
t o p a y 
c o m p e n s a t i o n i s c o n t r o v e r t e d b y t h e e m p l o y e r " ) ; 33 U.S.C. § 
9 3 3 ( b ) ( " [ T ] h e 
t e r m ' a w a r d ' 
w i t h 
r e s p e c t t o a 
c o m p e n s a t i o n 
o r d e r means a f o r m a l o r d e r i s s u e d b y t h e 
d e p u t y c o m m i s s i o n e r , 
an 
a d m i n i s t r a t i v e 
l a w j u d g e , 
o r [ t h e B e n e f i t s 
R e v i e w ] 
B o a r d . " ) ; a n d 33 U.S.C. § 9 1 9 ( e ) ( n o t i n g t h a t a " c o m p e n s a t i o n 
o r d e r " i s " [ t ] h e 
o r d e r 
r e j e c t i n g t h e c l a i m o r m a k i n g t h e 
a w a r d " ) . 
T h e r e i s 
d i s a g r e e m e n t among t h e f e d e r a l 
c i r c u i t s 
w h e t h e r 
a p a r t y may p u r s u e a J o n e s A c t 
c l a i m a f t e r a " f o r m a l " a w a r d o f 
b e n e f i t s 
u n d e r 
t h e LHWCA. 
Compare 
F i g u e r o a v . 
C a m p b e l l  
I n d u s . , 45 F . 3 d 
311, 315 ( 9 t h C i r . 
1 9 9 5 ) ( n o t i n g t h a t , a l t h o u g h 
t h e 
LHWCA a n d t h e J o n e s A c t " a r e ' m u t u a l l y e x c l u s i v e , ' some 
m a r i t i m e w o r k e r s may be J o n e s A c t 
seamen who a r e 
i n j u r e d w h i l e 
a l s o p e r f o r m i n g a j o b s p e c i f i c a l l y e n u m e r a t e d u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA, 
and, t h e r e f o r e , a r e 
e n t i t l e d t o r e c o v e r y u n d e r b o t h 
s t a t u t e s , 
a l t h o u g h d o u b l e r e c o v e r y o f 
a n y 
damage e l e m e n t i s p r e c l u d e d " ) , 
w i t h S h a r p v . J o h n s o n B r o s . C o r p . , 973 F . 2 d 
4 2 3 , 426-27 
( 5 t h 
C i r . 
1 9 9 2 ) ( " T h e LHWCA was n o t 
d e s i g n e d t o c r e a t e a mere s a f e t y 
n e t , 
g u a r a n t e e i n g w o r k e r s a minimum a w a r d as t h e y s e e k g r e a t e r 
r e w a r d s i n 
c o u r t . 
R a t h e r , i t 
h a s 
a b e n e f i t t o e m p l o y e r s , 
t o o , 
g i v i n g them l i m i t e d a n d p r e d i c t a b l e 
l i a b i l i t y i n 
e x c h a n g e f o r 
t h e i r 
g i v i n g 
up 
t h e i r 
a b i l i t y 
t o d e f e n d 
t o r t 
a c t i o n s . 
P e r m i t t i n g a J o n e s A c t 
p r o c e e d i n g a f t e r a f o r m a l c o m p e n s a t i o n 
8 
1060016 
The 
t h i r d " a c c i d e n t " r e f e r r e d t o i n 
t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s 
f a c t u a l 
f i n d i n g s o c c u r r e d i n 
M a r c h 2005. 
I n 
J u n e 
2 0 0 5 , 
F r a z i e r 
f i l e d 
a 
f o u r - c o u n t 
c o m p l a i n t 
a g a i n s t 
C o r e . 
I n c o u n t 
o n e , s t y l e d 
" N e g l i g e n c e , " 
F r a z i e r 
a l l e g e d t h a t he was "an a b l e b o d i e d seaman" a n d t h a t he 
h a d 
b e e n 
" i n j u r e d 
on o r a b o u t 
M a r c h 
1 1 , 2005, 
when he 
a t t e m p t e d 
t o s e c u r e a n d d o c k b y h a n d a b a r g e t o 
w h i c h he h a d b e e n a s s i g n e d . 
W h i l e p u l l i n g on a d o c k 
r o p e , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
s l i p p e d a n d f e l l . 
As a r e s u l t o f 
a w a r d h e r e w o u l d d e f e a t t h e 
p u r p o s e o f t h e 
LHWCA, a s w e l l a s 
w o r k 
u n f a i r n e s s , b e c a u s e , 
a s h e r e , 
e m p l o y e r s 
o f t e n 
h a v e 
d i f f e r e n t i n s u r a n c e c a r r i e r s f o r w o r k e r s ' c o m p e n s a t i o n c l a i m s 
a n d t o r t c l a i m s , s o t h e 
c o m p e n s a t i o n i n s u r e r , b y g u a r a n t e e i n g 
a minimum a w a r d , n e c e s s a r i l y w o u l d r e d u c e t h e a b i l i t y o f t h e 
t o r t 
i n s u r e r t o e f f e c t a s e t t l e m e n t . " 
( c i t a t i o n s o m i t t e d ) ) . 
A l t h o u g h 
F r a z i e r ' s 
b r i e f 
r e f e r s t o an o r d e r 
f r o m t h e 
a d m i n i s t r a t i v e l a w j u d g e 
" m e m o r i a l i z i n g " h i s 
a g r e e m e n t w i t h 
P i n n a c l e 
a n d a l t h o u g h he s t a t e s 
t h a t 
b e n e f i t s h a v e 
b e e n 
" a w a r d e d " t o h i m , 
t h e r e c o r d on a p p e a l d o e s n o t c o n t a i n t h e 
o r d e r o r o r d e r s r e f l e c t i n g t h e s e e v e n t s , w h i c h o c c u r r e d 
a f t e r 
F r a z i e r 
f i l e d h i s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l i n 
t h e 
p r e s e n t c a s e . 
Thus, 
we a r e 
n o t 
p r i v y t o 
t h e 
t e r m s o f t h e 
o r d e r o r o r d e r s , a n d , i n 
p a r t i c u l a r , we h a v e no i n f o r m a t i o n c o n c e r n i n g 
w h e t h e r t h e 
" a w a r d " was c o n d i t i o n a l o r o t h e r w i s e made r e f e r e n c e t o 
t h e 
p r e s e n t c a s e . 
F u r t h e r , C o r e h a s n o t a r g u e d i n i t s a p p e l l a t e 
b r i e f 
t h a t t h e " a w a r d " o f b e n e f i t s t o F r a z i e r 
r e n d e r s h i s 
c l a i m s moot. 
B e c a u s e we c a n n o t c o n c l u d e b a s e d on t h e 
s t a t e o f 
t h e 
r e c o r d a n d t h e a r g u m e n t s 
b e f o r e u s t h a t 
F r a z i e r h a s 
r e c e i v e d a f o r m a l a w a r d o f LHWCA b e n e f i t s , we n e e d n o t , a n d 
i n d e e d c a n n o t , 
a d d r e s s w h e t h e r s u c h an a w a r d w o u l d moot 
h i s 
c l a i m s a g a i n s t 
C o r e . 
9 
1060016 
t h e n e g l i g e n c e o f [ C o r e ] a n d / o r t h e u n s e a w o r t h i n e s s 
o f t h e v e s s e l i n q u e s t i o n , 
[ F r a z i e r ] was c a u s e d t o 
s u f f e r 
i n j u r i e s and damage[] t o h i s b a c k . " 
F r a z i e r 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t he s u f f e r e d damage i n e x c e s s o f $50,000 
as 
a 
r e s u l t o f t h e 
s l i p 
and 
f a l l , 
i n c l u d i n g 
l o s t 
wages, 
m e d i c a l e x p e n s e s , p a i n and s u f f e r i n g , and m e n t a l 
a n g u i s h . 
I n 
c o u n t 
two, 
F r a z i e r 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
f o r e g o i n g 
a l l e g a t i o n s 
e n t i t l e d 
h i m t o r e c o v e r 
u n d e r t h e " s a v i n g s t o 
s u i t o r s c l a u s e " o f t h e J o n e s A c t , 46 U.S.C. § 6 8 8 ( a ) , w h i c h a t 
a l l 
r e l e v a n t 
t i m e s 
s t a t e d : 
"Any seaman who 
s h a l l 
s u f f e r p e r s o n a l 
i n j u r y i n t h e 
c o u r s e 
o f h i s e m p l o y m e n t 
may, 
a t h i s e l e c t i o n , 
m a i n t a i n 
an 
a c t i o n 
f o r damages 
a t l a w , w i t h 
t h e 
r i g h t 
o f 
t r i a l 
b y 
j u r y , 
and 
i n s u c h 
a c t i o n a l l 
s t a t u t e s o f t h e U n i t e d 
S t a t e s m o d i f y i n g o r e x t e n d i n g 
t h e common-law r i g h t o r remedy i n c a s e s o f 
p e r s o n a l 
i n j u r y t o r a i l w a y e m p l o y e e s 
s h a l l 
a p p l y . " 
I n c o u n t t h r e e , 
s t y l e d " S e a w o r t h i n e s s , " 
F r a z i e r 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
" [ t ] h e 
v e s s e l 
upon 
w h i c h 
[he] 
was 
i n j u r e d 
was 
u n s e a w o r t h y i n t h a t t h e owner o f s a i d v e s s e l 
f a i l e d 
t o 
i n s u r e 
t h a t 
p r o p e r 
a p p u r t e n a n c e s and 
e q u i p m e n t 
were a t t a c h e d 
t o s a i d v e s s e l i n o r d e r t o s a f e l y d o c k 
t h e same. 
I n a d e q u a t e o r i m p r o p e r l y 
t r a i n e d 
s e r v a n t s 
were 
a b o a r d 
s a i d 
v e s s e l 
a n d made 
t h e 
v e s s e l 
i n 
q u e s t i o n 
u n s e a w o r t h y . 
S e r v a n t s o f t h e v e s s e l 
were 
p r o v i d e d 
i n a p p r o p r i a t e 
o r i m p r o p e r p r o c e d u r e a n d / o r 
p o l i c y f o r s a f e l y d o c k i n g t h e v e s s e l i n q u e s t i o n 
and 
as 
a 
r e s u l t 
c a u s e d 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
i n j u r i e s 
and 
d a m a g e [ ] . " 
10 
1060016 
We n o t e t h a t " [ t ] h e ' u n s e a w o r t h i n e s s ' d o c t r i n e i s ' b a s e d upon 
t h e s h i p o w n e r ' s a b s o l u t e a n d n o n d e l e g a b l e d u t y t o " f u r n i s h a 
v e s s e l 
a n d 
a p p u r t e n a n c e s 
r e a s o n a b l y f i t f o r t h e i r 
i n t e n d e d 
u s e . " ' " 
Ex p a r t e CSX T r a n s p . , I n c . , 735 So. 2d 476, 480 
n.3 
( A l a . 
1 9 9 9 ) ( q u o t i n g S z y m a n s k i 
v. 
C o l u m b i a 
T r a n s p . 
Co., 
154 
F.3d 5 9 1 , 601 ( 6 t h C i r . 1998) 
(Moore, J . , d i s s e n t i n g ) , q u o t i n g 
i n 
t u r n 
M i t c h e l l v. T r a w l e r R a c e r , 
I n c . , 362 
U.S. 
539, 
550 
( 1 9 6 0 ) ) . 
The d u t y t o p r o v i d e a s e a w o r t h y s h i p i s a d u t y owed 
seamen, b u t n o t e m p l o y e e s 
who 
a r e c o v e r e d u n d e r 
t h e LHWCA. 
See Yamaha M o t o r C o r p . , U.S.A. v. C a l h o u n , 516 U.S. 
199, 
208 
n.6 
( 1 9 9 6 ) . 
I n c o u n t f o u r , 
F r a z i e r a d o p t e d t h e a l l e g a t i o n s c o n t a i n e d 
i n 
t h e 
f i r s t 
t h r e e c o u n t s o f h i s c o m p l a i n t , and he 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
" [ t ] h e a c t a n d / o r 
a c t i o n o f 
[ C o r e ] a n d / o r 
[ t h e ] 
v e s s e l 
owner were w a n t o n a n d / o r 
r e c k l e s s . " 
F r a z i e r a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
he 
was 
e n t i t l e d 
t o 
p u n i t i v e 
damages. 
We 
n o t e 
t h a t 
i t i s 
u n d i s p u t e d t h a t C o r e owned t h e v e s s e l s on w h i c h F r a z i e r w o r k e d 
and on w h i c h he was 
a l l e g e d l y 
i n j u r e d . 
C o r e 
f i l e d 
a m o t i o n 
f o r a summary j u d g m e n t 
as 
t o a l l 
F r a z i e r ' s 
c l a i m s . 
C o r e 
a r g u e d 
t h a t 
F r a z i e r , 
"a w e l d e r 
by 
t r a d e , 
i s n o t a J o n e s A c t seaman and h i s w o r k - r e l a t e d t o r t 
11 
1060016 
c l a i m s a r e 
b a r r e d b y t h e 
e x c l u s i v i t y p r o v i s i o n s o f 
t h e [LHWCA] 
o r t h e 
A l a b a m a W o r k e r s ' C o m p e n s a t i o n A c t . "
8 
F r a z i e r f i l e d a 
b r i e f o p p o s i n g C o r e ' s m o t i o n . 
E a c h p a r t y 
s u b m i t t e d 
e x c e r p t s 
f r o m F r a z i e r ' s d e p o s i t i o n i n s u p p o r t o f h i s 
o r i t s p o s i t i o n ; 
F r a z i e r a l s o s u b m i t t e d 
c e r t a i n d o c u m e n t a r y 
e v i d e n c e . 
A f t e r 
c o n d u c t i n g 
a h e a r i n g on C o r e ' s m o t i o n , t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t e n t e r e d a j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r o f C o r e a n d a g a i n s t 
F r a z i e r 
as t o a l l F r a z i e r ' s c l a i m s . 
The j u d g m e n t 
s t a t e d : 
" C o r e 
i s e n t i t l e d 
t o summary 
j u d g m e n t 
f o r 
t h e 
f o l l o w i n g 
r e a s o n s : (1) [ F r a z i e r ] d o e s n o t meet t h e 
t e s t f o r 
seaman s t a t u s u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t a n d 
t h e 
c l a i m s i n 
h i s 
c o m p l a i n t 
d e p e n d upon p r o o f 
t h a t he 
i s 
a seaman e n t i t l e d t o p r o t e c t i o n u n d e r t h e 
J o n e s 
A c t ; 
(2) 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
c l a i m s 
a r e 
b a r r e d 
b y 
t h e 
e x c l u s i v e - r e m e d y p r o v i s i o n s i n 
t h e 
LHWCA;
[ 9 ] (3) a n d , 
[ F r a z i e r ] i s 
b a r r e d 
f r o m r e c o v e r i n g u n d e r 3 3 U.S.C. 
§ 9 0 5 ( b ) o f t h e LHWCA, a s s u m i n g 
t h a t 
s u c h a c l a i m 
had 
i n f a c t 
b e e n 
p l e d , 
b e c a u s e 
[he] r e g u l a r l y 
p e r f o r m e d 
s h i p - b u i l d i n g a n d s h i p - r e p a i r w o r k 
w h i l e 
w o r k i n g f o r C o r e . " 
8 S e e A l a . Code 1 9 7 5 , § 25-5-1 e t s e q . 
9 T h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t 
C o r e 
was 
F r a z i e r ' s 
" b o r r o w i n g e m p l o y e r " f o r 
p u r p o s e s o f t h e 
LHWCA, s e e C o o k s v .  
B e n d e r S h i p b u i l d i n g & R e p a i r Co., 833 So. 2 d 631 ( A l a . C i v . 
App. 
2 0 0 1 ) , a n d t h a t 
F r a z i e r was an LHWCA e m p l o y e e , n o t a 
J o n e s A c t 
seaman. 
T h u s , F r a z i e r ' s c l a i m s w e r e s u b j e c t t o t h e 
e x c l u s i v e - r e m e d y p r o v i s i o n s s e t 
f o r t h i n 
33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 5 ( a ) . 
12 
1060016 
The LHWCA p r o v i d e s 
t h a t 
" [ t ] h e 
l i a b i l i t y o f an e m p l o y e r 
p r e s c r i b e d i n 
s e c t i o n 904 
o f t h i s 
t i t l e 
s h a l l be e x c l u s i v e a n d 
i n 
p l a c e 
o f a l l o t h e r 
l i a b i l i t y 
o f s u c h 
e m p l o y e r t o 
t h e 
e m p l o y e e . " 
33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 5 ( a ) . 
The LHWCA 
d e f i n e s 
an 
" e m p l o y e e " a s " a n y p e r s o n 
e n g a g e d i n m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y m e n t , 
i n c l u d i n g 
a n y l o n g s h o r e m a n 
o r 
o t h e r 
p e r s o n 
e n g a g e d i n 
l o n g s h o r i n g 
o p e r a t i o n s , a n d 
a n y 
h a r b o r - w o r k e r i n c l u d i n g a s h i p  
r e p a i r m a n , s h i p b u i l d e r , a n d s h i p - b r e a k e r , b u t s u c h t e r m d o e s  
n o t 
i n c l u d e 
... (G) a m a s t e r o r member o f a c r e w o f a n y 
v e s s e l , " 
i . e . , a seaman u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t . 33 U.S.C. § 
902 (3) ( e m p h a s i s added) . See S t e w a r t v . D u t r a C o n s t r . Co., 
543 
U.S. 4 8 1 , 
488 ( 2 0 0 5 ) ; s e e a l s o W i l s o n v . Z a p a t a O f f - S h o r e Co., 
939 F . 2 d 
260, 266 n.10 ( 5 t h C i r . 1 9 9 1 ) ( " T h e t e s t t o d e t e r m i n e 
'member o f a c r e w ' 
s t a t u s u n d e r t h e [ e x c e p t i o n t o t h e t e r m 
' e m p l o y e e ' 
u n d e r t h e ] 
LHWCA i s t h e same as t h e t e s t f o r 
'seaman' s t a t u s u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t . " ) . 
S e c t i o n 905(b) o f t h e 
LHWCA d i s c u s s e s 
c l a i m s b a s e d on an 
i n j u r y " c a u s e d b y t h e 
n e g l i g e n c e o f 
a v e s s e l , " a n d i t p r o v i d e s 
t h a t t h e i n j u r e d 
p a r t y 
"may b r i n g an a c t i o n a g a i n s t 
s u c h v e s s e l as a t h i r d 
p a r t y i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f s e c t i o n 
933 o f t h i s 
t i t l e , a n d t h e e m p l o y e r 
s h a l l n o t be 
l i a b l e t o t h e v e s s e l f o r 
s u c h damages 
d i r e c t l y o r 
13 
1060016 
i n d i r e c t l y and any a g r e e m e n t s 
o r w a r r a n t i e s t o t h e 
c o n t r a r y 
s h a l l 
be 
v o i d . 
... 
I f s u c h 
p e r s o n 
was 
 
e m p l o y e d 
t o 
p r o v i d e 
s h i p b u i l d i n g , 
r e p a i r i n g , 
o r 
 
b r e a k i n g s e r v i c e s and s u c h p e r s o n ' s e m p l o y e r was t h e  
owner, 
owner 
p r o h a c 
v i c e , 
a g e n t , 
o p e r a t o r , 
o r 
 
c h a r t e r e r 
o f t h e v e s s e l , 
no s u c h 
a c t i o n 
s h a l l 
be 
 
p e r m i t t e d , 
i n w h o l e 
o r 
i n p a r t 
o r 
d i r e c t l y 
o r 
 
i n d i r e c t l y , 
a g a i n s t 
t h e i n j u r e d 
p e r s o n ' s 
e m p l o y e r 
 
( i n any c a p a c i t y , 
i n c l u d i n g as t h e v e s s e l ' s owner,  
owner p r o h a c v i c e , 
a g e n t , o p e r a t o r , o r 
c h a r t e r e r )  
o r 
a g a i n s t 
t h e e m p l o y e e s 
o f t h e e m p l o y e r . 
The 
l i a b i l i t y o f t h e v e s s e l u n d e r 
t h i s s u b s e c t i o n 
s h a l l 
n o t be b a s e d upon t h e w a r r a n t y o f s e a w o r t h i n e s s o r 
a b r e a c h t h e r e o f a t t h e t i m e t h e i n j u r y 
o c c u r r e d . 
The 
remedy 
p r o v i d e d 
i n t h i s 
s u b s e c t i o n 
s h a l l 
be 
e x c l u s i v e o f a l l 
o t h e r r e m e d i e s 
a g a i n s t t h e v e s s e l 
e x c e p t r e m e d i e s a v a i l a b l e u n d e r 
t h i s c h a p t e r . " 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
F r a z i e r 
a p p e a l s . 
He 
a r g u e s 
(1) t h a t 
b a s e d 
upon t h e 
h o l d i n g i n C h a n d r i s , I n c . v . L a t s i s , 515 U.S. 347 
( 1 9 9 5 ) , he 
i s 
a "seaman" f o r p u r p o s e s o f t h e J o n e s A c t , and 
(2) 
t h a t 
b a s e d upon t h e h o l d i n g i n S t e w a r t , s u p r a , he i s " e n t i t l e d t o 
t h e 
b e n e f i t s 
p r o v i d e d 
u n d e r 
t h e J o n e s A c t p u r s u a n t t o 33 
U.S.C. § 905(b) o f t h e " 
LHWCA, s p e c i f i c a l l y t h a t he c a n p u r s u e 
a n e g l i g e n c e c l a i m a g a i n s t C o r e , as t h e v e s s e l owner, w h e t h e r 
he i s deemed a l o n g s h o r e m a n o r a s e a m a n .
1 0 
1 0 C o r e a r g u e s i n i t s 
a p p e l l a t e b r i e f t h a t F r a z i e r 
c o n c e d e d 
a t t h e h e a r i n g on i t s 
s u m m a r y - j u d g m e n t m o t i o n t h a t he "was a 
l o n g s h o r e m a n , n o t a J o n e s A c t seaman." 
( C o r e ' s b r i e f , a t 14.) 
As C o r e n o t e s , h o w e v e r , t h e r e i s no t r a n s c r i p t o f t h e h e a r i n g . 
F r a z i e r c o n t e n d s i n h i s r e p l y b r i e f on a p p e a l t h a t he c l a i m e d 
t h a t he was a seaman, b u t he a l s o a r g u e d t h a t e v e n i f 
he was 
14 
1060016 
I I . 
S t a n d a r d o f R e v i e w 
The 
s t a n d a r d 
by w h i c h we r e v i e w a summary j u d g m e n t i s 
w e l l s e t t l e d : 
" T h i s C o u r t r e v i e w s a summary j u d g m e n t de n o v o . 
T u r n e r v. W e s t h a m p t o n C o u r t , L.L.C., 903 So. 2d 82, 
87 
( A l a . 2 0 0 4 ) . 
We s e e k t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r t h e 
movant h a s made a p r i m a 
f a c i e s h o w i n g 
t h a t 
t h e r e 
e x i s t s no g e n u i n e 
i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l 
f a c t and h a s 
d e m o n s t r a t e d 
t h a t 
t h e movant 
i s e n t i t l e d 
t o a 
j u d g m e n t as a m a t t e r o f l a w . T u r n e r , 
s u p r a . " 
M u l l e r v . S e e d s , 919 So. 2d 1174, 1176 ( A l a . 2 0 0 5 ) . 
See R u l e 
5 6 ( c ) ( 3 ) , A l a . R. C i v . P. 
As f o r d e t e r m i n i n g 
w h e t h e r a 
g e n u i n e i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l 
f a c t e x i s t s , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
"must r e v i e w t h e r e c o r d i n t h e l i g h t most 
f a v o r a b l e 
t o t h e n o n m o v i n g p a r t y and r e s o l v e 
a l l r e a s o n a b l e 
d o u b t s i n f a v o r o f t h e n o n m o v a n t . 
The m o v i n g 
p a r t y 
has t h e b u r d e n o f m a k i n g a p r i m a f a c i e s h o w i n g 
t h a t 
he o r she i s e n t i t l e d t o a summary j u d g m e n t . 
I f 
t h e 
a 
l o n g s h o r e m a n he c o u l d 
s t i l l 
p u r s u e a c l a i m 
a g a i n s t 
C o r e 
u n d e r 33 U.S.C. § 9 0 5 ( b ) . 
C o r e a r g u e s t h a t t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t 
" s p e c i f i c a l l y 
a c k n o w l e d g e s 
a n d 
m e m o r i a l i z e s 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
c o n c e s s i o n . " 
( C o r e ' s b r i e f , a t 14.) 
A l t h o u g h t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t n o t e d i n i t s 
j u d g m e n t t h a t F r a z i e r c o n c e d e d t h a t he was a l o n g s h o r e m a n who 
was 
r e c e i v i n g LHWCA b e n e f i t s , t h i s s t a t e m e n t a p p e a r s a f t e r i t s 
d e t a i l e d 
f i n d i n g s o f f a c t a n d a n a l y s i s o f t h e i s s u e 
w h e t h e r 
F r a z i e r 
q u a l i f i e d f o r 
seaman s t a t u s . 
The j u d g m e n t d o e s n o t 
s u p p o r t t h e c o n c l u s i o n 
t h a t 
F r a z i e r c o n c e d e d he was o n l y a 
l o n g s h o r e m a n a n d t h a t he c o u l d n o t q u a l i f y f o r 
seaman s t a t u s ; 
s u c h a c o n c e s s i o n 
w o u l d h a v e r e n d e r e d u n n e c e s s a r y most o f 
t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t ' s e x t e n s i v e 
f i n d i n g s o f f a c t a n d i t s d i s c u s s i o n o f 
why F r a z i e r was n o t a seaman. 
15 
1060016 
movant 
s a t i s f i e s 
t h i s 
b u r d e n 
o f p r o d u c t i o n , 
t h e 
nonmovant 
t h e n 
b e a r s 
t h e 
b u r d e n 
o f 
p r o d u c i n g 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
e v i d e n c e 
c r e a t i n g a g e n u i n e 
i s s u e o f 
m a t e r i a l 
f a c t . " 
R e n t z v . G r a n t , 
934 So. 2d 368, 372 ( A l a . 
200 
6) 
( c i t i n g 
A m e r i c a n Gen. L i f e & A c c . I n s . 
Co. v . U n d e r w o o d , 886 So. 2d 
807, 
811 ( A l a . 2004) 
( c i t a t i o n s 
o m i t t e d ) ) . " 
I I I . 
A n a l y s i s 
A. 
Seaman s t a t u s 
As t h e Supreme C o u r t n o t e d i n C h a n d r i s : 
"The 
f e d e r a l c o u r t s h a v e s t r u g g l e d o v e r t h e y e a r s t o 
a r t i c u l a t e 
g e n e r a l l y 
a p p l i c a b l e 
c r i t e r i a 
t o 
d i s t i n g u i s h 
among t h e many 
v a r i e t i e s o f m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s , 
o f t e n 
d e v e l o p i n g 
d e t a i l e d 
m u l t i p r o n g e d 
t e s t s f o r seaman 
s t a t u s . 
S i n c e 
t h e 1 9 5 0 ' s , 
t h i s 
C o u r t l a r g e l y h a s l e f t d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e J o n e s 
A c t ' s 
s c o p e t o t h e l o w e r 
c o u r t s . 
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , 
as a 
r e s u l t , 
' [ t ] h e 
p e r i l s 
o f t h e s e a , w h i c h 
m a r i n e r s 
s u f f e r a n d s h i p o w n e r s i n s u r e a g a i n s t , h a v e met t h e i r 
m a t c h i n 
t h e p e r i l s o f j u d i c i a l r e v i e w . ' 
O r , as one 
c o u r t p a r a p h r a s e d D i d e r o t i n r e f e r e n c e t o t h i s b o d y 
o f l a w : '"We h a v e made a l a b y r i n t h a n d g o t l o s t i n 
i t . 
We must f i n d o u r way o u t . " ' " 
515 
U.S. a t 356 
( c i t a t i o n s 
o m i t t e d ) ; 
s e e a l s o 
P u g e t 
Sound 
F r e i g h t L i n e s v . M a r s h a l l , 125 F.2d 876, 878 ( 9 t h C i r . 1 9 4 2 ) ( a 
p r e - C h a n d r i s c a s e n o t i n g t h a t " [ t ] h e d e f i n i t i o n s o f 'member o f 
a 
c r e w ' [ u n d e r t h e LHWCA] a n d t h e t e s t s t o be a p p l i e d i n 
d e t e r m i n i n g 
t h e s t a t u s o f a w o r k e r , as s e t f o r t h i n d i f f e r e n t 
o p i n i o n s , 
a r e so many 
a n d 
v a r i e d 
t h a t 
any 
a t t e m p t 
a t 
16 
1060016 
r e c o n c i l i a t i o n 
w o u l d 
be 
f u t i l e " ) . 
T a k i n g 
i n t o 
a c c o u n t 
t h e 
s t a t u t o r y and c a s e l a w h i s t o r y t h a t gave r i s e t o t h e 
l a b y r i n t h , 
h o w e v e r , 
and 
more 
r e c e n t 
Supreme 
C o u r t 
p r e c e d e n t s , 
t h e 
r e s o l u t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
i s s u e w h e t h e r 
F r a z i e r 
m i g h t 
be 
a seaman 
u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t i s c l e a r . 
He i s n o t . 
I n M c D e r m o t t 
I n t e r n a t i o n a l , 
I n c . v. W i l a n d e r , 
498 
U.S. 
337 
( 1 9 9 1 ) , t h e Supreme C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
"As 
had 
t h e 
l o w e r 
f e d e r a l 
c o u r t s b e f o r e 
t h e 
J o n e s A c t , t h i s C o u r t c o n t i n u e d t o c o n s t r u e 'seaman' 
b r o a d l y 
a f t e r 
t h e 
J o n e s 
A c t . 
I n 
I n t e r n a t i o n a l 
 
S t e v e d o r i n g Co. v. H a v e r t y , 272 U.S. 
50 
( 1 9 2 6 ) , t h e 
C o u r t h e l d t h a t a s t e v e d o r e
[ 1 1 ] i s a 'seaman' c o v e r e d 
u n d e r t h e A c t when e n g a g e d i n m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y m e n t . 
H a v e r t y was a l o n g s h o r e w o r k e r 
i n j u r e d w h i l e s t o w i n g 
f r e i g h t 
i n t h e h o l d o f a d o c k e d 
v e s s e l . 
The 
C o u r t 
r e c o g n i z e d 
t h a t 
'as 
t h e 
w o r d 
i s commonly 
u s e d , 
s t e v e d o r e s 
a r e 
n o t 
"seamen."' 
I d . , a t 
52. 
'But 
w o r d s 
a r e 
f l e x i b l e 
We 
c a n n o t 
b e l i e v e 
t h a t 
C o n g r e s s 
w i l l i n g l y w o u l d h a v e a l l o w e d t h e p r o t e c t i o n 
t o men e n g a g e d upon t h e same m a r i t i m e d u t i e s t o v a r y 
w i t h 
t h e 
a c c i d e n t 
o f 
t h e i r 
b e i n g 
e m p l o y e d 
by 
a 
s t e v e d o r e r a t h e r t h a n by t h e s h i p . ' 
I b i d . 
" C o n g r e s s 
w o u l d , 
and d i d , h o w e v e r . 
W i t h i n s i x 
months o f t h e d e c i s i o n 
i n H a v e r t y , C o n g r e s s 
p a s s e d 
t h e L o n g s h o r e 
and 
H a r b o r 
W o r k e r s ' 
C o m p e n s a t i o n 
A c t 
(LHWCA), 
44 
S t a t . 
( p a r t 
2) 
1424, 
as 
amended, 
33 
U.S.C. §§ 
9 0 1 - 9 5 0 . 
The 
A c t p r o v i d e s r e c o v e r y f o r 
i n j u r y 
t o 
a 
b r o a d 
r a n g e 
o f 
l a n d - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s , 
b u t 
e x p l i c i t l y 
e x c l u d e s f r o m i t s c o v e r a g e 
'a m a s t e r 
o r member o f a c r e w o f any 
v e s s e l . ' 
33 
U.S.C. 
§ 
9 0 2 ( 3 ) ( G ) . 
T h i s 
C o u r t 
r e c o g n i z e d 
t h e 
1 1A s t e v e d o r e i s one e m p l o y e d i n t h e l o a d i n g a n d u n l o a d i n g 
o f 
s h i p s . 
17 
1060016 
d i s t i n c t i o n , 
a l b e i t 
b e l a t e d l y , i n Swanson v . M a r r a  
B r o t h e r s , 
I n c . , 328 U.S. 1 ( 1 9 4 6 ) , c o n c l u d i n g t h a t 
t h e J o n e s A c t 
a n d t h e 
LHWCA a r e 
m u t u a l l y 
e x c l u s i v e . 
The LHWCA p r o v i d e s 
r e l i e f f o r l a n d - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s , 
a n d t h e J o n e s 
A c t i s r e s t r i c t e d 
t o 'a 
m a s t e r o r 
member o f a c r e w o f a n y v e s s e l ' : 
'We must 
t a k e i t 
t h a t t h e e f f e c t o f t h e s e p r o v i s i o n s o f 
t h e 
[LHWCA] i s 
t o c o n f i n e t h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e J o n e s A c t 
t o t h e members o f t h e c r e w o f a v e s s e l 
p l y i n g i n 
n a v i g a b l e w a t e r s a n d t o s u b s t i t u t e f o r t h e r i g h t o f 
r e c o v e r y 
r e c o g n i z e d b y t h e H a v e r t y 
c a s e 
o n l y 
s u c h 
r i g h t s t o c o m p e n s a t i o n as a r e 
g i v e n b y t h e [LHWCA].' 
I d . , a t 7. 
' [ M ] a s t e r o r member o f a c r e w ' 
i s a 
r e f i n e m e n t o f 
t h e 
t e r m 'seaman' i n 
t h e 
J o n e s A c t ; 
i t 
e x c l u d e s f r o m LHWCA c o v e r a g e 
t h o s e p r o p e r l y c o v e r e d 
u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t . 
Thus, i t i s 
odd 
b u t t r u e 
t h a t 
t h e 
k e y r e q u i r e m e n t 
f o r J o n e s 
A c t c o v e r a g e 
now 
a p p e a r s i n a n o t h e r 
s t a t u t e . 
" W i t h 
t h e p a s s a g e 
o f t h e LHWCA, 
C o n g r e s s 
e s t a b l i s h e d a c l e a r 
d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n 
l a n d - b a s e d 
and s e a - b a s e d m a r i t i m e w o r k e r s . 
The l a t t e r , who owe 
t h e i r 
a l l e g i a n c e t o a v e s s e l a n d n o t s o l e l y t o a 
l a n d - b a s e d e m p l o y e r , a r e 
seamen. 
I r o n i c a l l y , on t h e 
same d a y t h a t t h e C o u r t 
d e c i d e d Swanson i t h a n d e d 
down 
Seas 
S h i p p i n g Co. v . S i e r a c k i , 
328 U.S. 85 
( 1 9 4 6 ) . 
W i t h r e a s o n i n g r e m a r k a b l y 
s i m i l a r t o t h a t 
i n 
H a v e r t y , t h e C o u r t 
e x t e n d e d t o a s t e v e d o r e t h e 
t r a d i t i o n a l 
seamen's remedy o f u n s e a w o r t h i n e s s i n 
t h o s e c a s e s where t h e 
s t e v e d o r e ' i s d o i n g a seaman's 
w o r k a n d i n c u r r i n g a seaman's h a z a r d s . ' 
328 U.S., 
a t 99. I t t o o k C o n g r e s s a b i t l o n g e r t o r e a c t 
t h i s 
t i m e . 
I n 1 9 7 2 , C o n g r e s s 
amended t h e LHWCA t o 
b a r 
l o n g s h o r e 
a n d h a r b o r 
w o r k e r s 
f r o m 
r e c o v e r y f o r 
b r e a c h o f t h e d u t y o f s e a w o r t h i n e s s . 
See 86 S t a t . 
1263, 
33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 5 ( b ) ; 
M i l e s v . Apex 
M a r i n e 
 
C o r p . , 498 U.S. 19, 28 ( 1 9 9 0 ) . 
W h e t h e r u n d e r t h e 
J o n e s A c t o r g e n e r a l m a r i t i m e l a w , seamen do n o t 
i n c l u d e l a n d - b a s e d 
w o r k e r s . " 
498 U.S. a t 346-48. 
The C o u r t c o n t i n u e d : 
18 
1060016 
"We now r e c o g n i z e 
t h a t t h e LHWCA i s one o f a 
p a i r o f m u t u a l l y 
e x c l u s i v e 
r e m e d i a l 
s t a t u t e s 
t h a t 
d i s t i n g u i s h 
b e t w e e n 
l a n d - b a s e d 
a n d 
s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y e e s . 
The LHWCA 
r e s t r i c t e d t h e 
d e f i n i t i o n o f 'seaman' i n 
t h e J o n e s A c t o n l y t o t h e 
e x t e n t 
t h a t 
'seaman' h a d b e e n 
t a k e n 
t o 
i n c l u d e 
l a n d - b a s e d e m p l o y e e s . 
T h e r e i s 
no i n d i c a t i o n i n t h e 
J o n e s A c t , t h e LHWCA, o r e l s e w h e r e , 
t h a t 
C o n g r e s s 
has 
e x c l u d e d 
f r o m 
J o n e s 
A c t 
r e m e d i e s 
t h o s e 
t r a d i t i o n a l seamen who owe a l l e g i a n c e t o 
a v e s s e l a t 
s e a 
" 
498 U.S. a t 3 5 3 - 5 4 ; s e e a l s o C h a n d r i s , 
515 U.S. a t 355 
("In 
W a r n e r [ v . G o l t r a , 293 U.S. 155 ( 1 9 3 4 ) ] , we s t a t e d 
t h a t 'a 
seaman i s 
a m a r i n e r o f 
a n y d e g r e e , one 
who l i v e s h i s 
l i f e upon  
t h e 
s e a . ' 
I d . , a t 157. 
S i m i l a r l y , i n 
N o r t o n v . W a r n e r Co., 
321 U.S. 565, 572 ( 1 9 4 4 ) , we s u g g e s t e d 
t h a t 
' " e v e r y one 
i s 
e n t i t l e d t o 
t h e 
p r i v i l e g e o f 
a seaman who, l i k e seamen, a t a l l 
t i m e s 
c o n t r i b u t e s 
t o t h e l a b o r s 
a b o u t t h e o p e r a t i o n a n d 
w e l f a r e o f 
t h e 
s h i p when she 
i s 
upon a v o y a g e . " ' 
( q u o t i n g The  
Buena 
V e n t u r a , 
243 F. 7 9 7 , 799 (SDNY 
1 9 1 6 ) ) . " 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) ) . 
I n 
C h a n d r i s , 
w h i c h t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
r e l i e d upon i n i t s 
j u d g m e n t i n 
t h e p r e s e n t 
c a s e , t h e Supreme C o u r t was a s k e d t o 
f u r t h e r 
c l a r i f y 
what 
r e l a t i o n s h i p a w o r k e r must have t o a 
v e s s e l i n n a v i g a t i o n i n o r d e r t o q u a l i f y f o r "seaman" 
s t a t u s 
19 
1060016 
u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t . 
515 U.S. a t 3 5 0 . As t o t h a t i s s u e t h e 
C h a n d r i s C o u r t 
n o t e d : 
" C o n g r e s s 
p r o v i d e d some c o n t e n t f o r 
t h e J o n e s 
A c t 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
i n 1927 when 
i t e n a c t e d t h e 
L o n g s h o r e 
a n d H a r b o r 
W o r k e r s ' 
C o m p e n s a t i o n A c t 
(LHWCA), w h i c h p r o v i d e s s c h e d u l e d c o m p e n s a t i o n ( a n d 
t h e e x c l u s i v e remedy) f o r 
i n j u r y t o 
a b r o a d r a n g e o f 
l a n d - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s 
b u t 
w h i c h 
a l s o 
e x p l i c i t l y 
e x c l u d e s f r o m i t s c o v e r a g e 'a m a s t e r o r 
member o f a c r e w o f a n y v e s s e l . ' 
44 S t a t . 
( p a r t 2) 
1424, as amended, 33 U.S.C. § 9 0 2 ( 3 ) ( G ) . " 
515 U.S. a t 3 5 5 . As n o t e d a b o v e , t h e " l a n d - b a s e d " 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y e e s t o whom C o n g r e s s 
d i r e c t e d c o v e r a g e u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA 
i n c l u d e 
"any 
l o n g s h o r e m a n 
o r 
o t h e r 
p e r s o n 
e n g a g e d i n 
l o n g s h o r i n g o p e r a t i o n s , a n d 
a n y 
h a r b o r - w o r k e r i n c l u d i n g a s h i p  
r e p a i r m a n , 
s h i p b u i l d e r , a n d s h i p - b r e a k e r 
33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 2 ( 3 ) 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
The 
C h a n d r i s C o u r t t h e n 
" u n d e r t [ o o k ] t h e ... 
d i f f i c u l t 
t a s k o f d e v e l o p i n g a s t a t u s - b a s e d s t a n d a r d t h a t , a l t h o u g h 
i t 
d e t e r m i n e s J o n e s A c t c o v e r a g e 
w i t h o u t r e g a r d t o t h e p r e c i s e 
a c t i v i t y i n w h i c h t h e w o r k e r i s e n g a g e d a t t h e t i m e o f 
t h e 
i n j u r y , 
n e v e r t h e l e s s b e s t 
f u r t h e r s t h e J o n e s 
A c t ' s r e m e d i a l 
g o a l s . " 
515 U.S. a t 3 5 8 . 
The C o u r t 
n o t e d 
" s e v e r a l 
b a s i c 
p r i n c i p l e s 
r e g a r d i n g t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f a seaman. 
F i r s t , 
' [ w ] h e t h e r u n d e r t h e 
J o n e s A c t 
o r g e n e r a l m a r i t i m e l a w , seamen 
20 
1060016 
do n o t 
i n c l u d e l a n d - b a s e d w o r k e r s . ' [ M c D e r m o t t I n t ' l , I n c . 
v . ] 
W i l a n d e r , [498 
U.S. 337] a t 348 [ ( 1 9 9 1 ) ] . " 515 U.S. a t 
358 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
The C h a n d r i s C o u r t f u r t h e r 
n o t e d : 
" I n 
a d d i t i o n 
t o 
r e c o g n i z i n g 
a 
f u n d a m e n t a l 
d i s t i n c t i o n 
b e t w e e n 
l a n d - b a s e d 
a n d 
s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y e e s , 
o u r c a s e s 
a l s o e m p h a s i z e 
t h a t 
J o n e s 
A c t c o v e r a g e , 
l i k e 
t h e 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
o f 
a d m i r a l t y o v e r c a u s e s o f a c t i o n f o r 
m a i n t e n a n c e a n d 
c u r e 
f o r i n j u r i e s 
r e c e i v e d i n t h e c o u r s e 
o f a 
seaman's e m p l o y m e n t , d e p e n d s ' n o t 
on t h e 
p l a c e w h e r e 
t h e i n j u r y i s i n f l i c t e d ... b u t 
on t h e 
n a t u r e o f t h e 
seaman's 
s e r v i c e , h i s s t a t u s as a member o f 
t h e 
v e s s e l , a n d h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p as s u c h t o t h e v e s s e l 
a n d i t s o p e r a t i o n i n 
n a v i g a b l e w a t e r s . ' 
Swanson 
[ v . 
 
M a r r a 
B r o s . , I n c . , 
328 U.S. 1, 4 ( 1 9 4 6 ) ] . 
T h u s , 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s who o b t a i n seaman 
s t a t u s do n o t 
l o s e t h a t p r o t e c t i o n a u t o m a t i c a l l y when on s h o r e a n d 
may r e c o v e r u n d e r t h e J o n e s A c t w h e n e v e r t h e y a r e 
i n j u r e d i n t h e s e r v i c e o f a v e s s e l , 
r e g a r d l e s s o f 
w h e t h e r t h e i n j u r y o c c u r s on o r o f f 
t h e s h i p . " 
515 U.S. a t 3 5 9 - 6 0 . 
The C h a n d r i s C o u r t c o n t i n u e d : 
"Our LHWCA c a s e s 
a l s o 
r e c o g n i z e t h e c o n v e r s e : 
L a n d - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s 
i n j u r e d 
w h i l e on a  
v e s s e l i n n a v i g a t i o n r e m a i n 
c o v e r e d b y t h e LHWCA, 
w h i c h 
e x p r e s s l y p r o v i d e s c o m p e n s a t i o n 
f o r i n j u r i e s 
t o 
c e r t a i n w o r k e r s e n g a g e d i n ' m a r i t i m e e m p l o y m e n t ' 
t h a t a r e i n c u r r e d 'upon t h e 
n a v i g a b l e w a t e r s o f t h e 
U n i t e d 
S t a t e s , ' 
33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 3 ( a ) . 
T h u s , i n 
D i r e c t o r , 
O f f i c e o f W o r k e r s ' 
C o m p e n s a t i o n 
P r o g r a m s  
v. 
P e r i n i 
N o r t h 
R i v e r 
A s s o c i a t e s , 459 U.S. 297 
( 1 9 8 3 ) , we h e l d t h a t a w o r k e r 
i n j u r e d w h i l e 
' w o r k i n g 
on a b a r g e i n 
a c t u a l n a v i g a b l e w a t e r s ' o f 
t h e 
Hudson 
R i v e r , i d . , 
a t 
3 0 0 , n. 4, c o u l d be c o m p e n s a t e d u n d e r 
t h e LHWCA, i d . , a t 324. See a l s o 
P a r k e r v . 
M o t o r  
B o a t 
S a l e s , 
I n c . , 
314 U.S. 244, 244-245 
(1941) 
21 
1060016 
( u p h o l d i n g 
LHWCA 
c o v e r a g e 
f o r 
a 
w o r k e r 
t e s t i n g 
o u t b o a r d m o t o r s who 
'was 
d r o w n e d when a m o t o r 
b o a t 
i n w h i c h he was 
r i d i n g c a p s i z e d ' ) . T h e s e 
d e c i s i o n s , 
w h i c h 
r e f l e c t o u r l o n g s t a n d i n g v i e w o f t h e LHWCA's 
s c o p e , 
i n d i c a t e 
t h a t 
a 
m a r i t i m e w o r k e r 
d o e s 
n o t 
become a 'member o f a c r e w ' 
as 
s o o n 
as 
a 
v e s s e l 
l e a v e s t h e d o c k . 
" I t i s t h e r e f o r e w e l l 
s e t t l e d a f t e r d e c a d e s 
o f 
j u d i c i a l 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
t h a t t h e J o n e s A c t 
i n q u i r y 
i s f u n d a m e n t a l l y s t a t u s b a s e d : 
L a n d - b a s e d m a r i t i m e  
w o r k e r s do n o t become seamen b e c a u s e t h e y h a p p e n t o  
be w o r k i n g on b o a r d a v e s s e l when t h e y a r e 
i n j u r e d , 
a n d seamen do n o t l o s e J o n e s A c t p r o t e c t i o n when t h e 
c o u r s e 
o f 
t h e i r 
s e r v i c e 
t o 
a 
v e s s e l 
t a k e s 
them 
a s h o r e . 
I n s p i t e o f t h i s b a c k g r o u n d , r e s p o n d e n t a n d 
J u s t i c e STEVENS s u g g e s t t h a t any m a r i t i m e w o r k e r 
who 
i s a s s i g n e d t o a v e s s e l f o r t h e d u r a t i o n o f a v o y a g e 
-- 
a n d 
whose 
d u t i e s 
c o n t r i b u t e 
t o 
t h e 
v e s s e l ' s 
m i s s i o n 
-- 
s h o u l d be 
c l a s s i f i e d 
as 
a seaman f o r 
p u r p o s e s 
o f 
i n j u r i e s 
i n c u r r e d 
d u r i n g 
t h a t 
v o y a g e . 
See B r i e f f o r R e s p o n d e n t 
14; p o s t , a t 2194 
( o p i n i o n 
c o n c u r r i n g 
i n 
j u d g m e n t ) . 
U n d e r 
s u c h 
a 
'voyage 
t e s t , ' 
w h i c h 
r e l i e s 
p r i n c i p a l l y u p o n 
t h i s 
C o u r t ' s 
s t a t e m e n t s 
t h a t 
t h e 
J o n e s 
A c t 
was 
d e s i g n e d 
t o 
p r o t e c t 
m a r i t i m e w o r k e r s 
who 
a r e 
e x p o s e d 
t o 
t h e 
' s p e c i a l 
h a z a r d s ' 
a n d 
' p a r t i c u l a r 
p e r i l s ' 
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f w o r k on v e s s e l s a t s e a , s e e , e.g., 
[ M c D e r m o t t 
I n t ' l , 
I n c . v.] W i l a n d e r , [498 U.S. 
337] 
a t 354 
[ ( 1 9 9 1 ) ] , t h e w o r k e r ' s a c t i v i t i e s a t t h e t i m e 
o f t h e i n j u r y w o u l d be 
c o n t r o l l i n g . 
"The 
d i f f i c u l t y w i t h r e s p o n d e n t ' s a r g u m e n t , 
as 
t h e 
f o r e g o i n g 
d i s c u s s i o n makes 
c l e a r , 
i s t h a t 
t h e 
LHWCA r e p u d i a t e d t h e 
[ I n t e r n a t i o n a l S t e v e d o r i n g Co.  
v.] H a v e r t y [ , 272 U.S. 
50 ( 1 9 2 6 ) , ] l i n e o f c a s e s a n d 
e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t a w o r k e r i s no l o n g e r c o n s i d e r e d t o 
be a seaman s i m p l y b e c a u s e he i s d o i n g a seaman's 
w o r k a t t h e t i m e o f t h e i n j u r y . 
Seaman s t a t u s i s 
n o t c o e x t e n s i v e w i t h seamen's 
r i s k s . 
22 
1060016 
"... 
I n 
e v a l u a t i n g 
t h e 
e m p l o y m e n t - r e l a t e d 
c o n n e c t i o n 
o f a m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r 
t o a 
v e s s e l i n 
n a v i g a t i o n , 
c o u r t s 
s h o u l d n o t e m p l o y 
'a " s n a p s h o t " 
t e s t 
f o r seaman 
s t a t u s , 
i n s p e c t i n g 
o n l y 
t h e 
s i t u a t i o n as i t 
e x i s t s a t t h e i n s t a n t o f i n j u r y ; a 
more e n d u r i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p i s c o n t e m p l a t e d i n 
t h e 
j u r i s p r u d e n c e . ' 
E a s l e y 
[ v . S o u t h e r n 
S h i p b u i l d i n g 
 
C o r p . , 965 F . 2 d 1, 5 ( 5 t h 
C i r . 1 9 9 2 ) ] . 
T h u s , a 
w o r k e r may n o t o s c i l l a t e 
b a c k a n d f o r t h 
b e t w e e n 
J o n e s A c t c o v e r a g e a n d o t h e r r e m e d i e s d e p e n d i n g on 
t h e 
a c t i v i t y i n w h i c h t h e w o r k e r was e n g a g e d 
w h i l e 
i n j u r e d . 
R e e v e s v . M o b i l e D r e d g i n g & P u m p i n g Co., 
26 F . 3 d 1 2 4 7 , 1256 (CA3 1 9 9 4 ) . 
U n l i k e 
J u s t i c e 
STEVENS, s e e p o s t , a t 2 1 9 4 , 
we do n o t b e l i e v e 
t h a t 
 
any m a r i t i m e w o r k e r on a s h i p a t s e a 
a s p a r t o f h i s 
 
e m p l o y m e n t i s 
a u t o m a t i c a l l y a member o f t h e c r e w o f  
t h e 
v e s s e l 
w i t h i n 
t h e m e a n i n g 
o f t h e s t a t u t o r y  
t e r m s . 
Our r e j e c t i o n o f t h e v o y a g e 
t e s t i s a l s o  
c o n s i s t e n t 
w i t h 
t h e i n t e r e s t s o f e m p l o y e r s a n d  
m a r i t i m e w o r k e r s a l i k e i n 
b e i n g a b l e t o p r e d i c t who  
w i l l be c o v e r e d b y t h e J o n e s A c t ( a n d , 
p e r h a p s more  
i m p o r t a n t l y f o r p u r p o s e s o f t h e 
e m p l o y e r s ' w o r k e r s '  
c o m p e n s a t i o n o b l i g a t i o n s , who w i l l be c o v e r e d b y 
t h e 
 
LHWCA) b e f o r e a p a r t i c u l a r w o r k d a y b e g i n s . 
"To 
s a y t h a t 
o u r c a s e s 
h a v e 
r e c o g n i z e d 
a 
d i s t i n c t i o n 
b e t w e e n 
l a n d - b a s e d 
a n d 
s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
w o r k e r s 
t h a t 
p r e c l u d e s a p p l i c a t i o n o f a 
v o y a g e 
t e s t f o r 
seaman s t a t u s , h o w e v e r , 
i s 
n o t 
t o 
s a y t h a t a m a r i t i m e e m p l o y e e must w o r k o n l y on b o a r d 
a v e s s e l t o q u a l i f y a s a seaman u n d e r t h e 
J o n e s 
A c t . 
I n 
S o u t h w e s t 
M a r i n e , I n c . 
v . G i z o n i , 502 U.S. 81 
( 1 9 9 1 ) , d e c i d e d o n l y a f e w 
months a f t e r W i l a n d e r , we 
c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t 
a 
w o r k e r ' s 
s t a t u s 
as 
a 
s h i p 
r e p a i r m a n , 
one 
o f 
t h e 
e n u m e r a t e d 
o c c u p a t i o n s 
e n c o m p a s s e d 
w i t h i n t h e t e r m 
' e m p l o y e e ' 
u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA, 33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 2 ( 3 ) , d i d n o t n e c e s s a r i l y 
r e s t r i c t t h e 
w o r k e r t o a remedy u n d e r t h a t 
s t a t u t e . 
We 
e x p l a i n e d 
t h a t , 
' [ w ] h i l e i n some c a s e s a 
s h i p 
r e p a i r m a n may l a c k t h e r e q u i s i t e c o n n e c t i o n t o a 
v e s s e l i n n a v i g a t i o n t o q u a l i f y f o r 
seaman 
s t a t u s , 
n o t 
a l l 
s h i p 
r e p a i r m e n 
l a c k 
t h e r e q u i s i t e 
23 
1060016 
c o n n e c t i o n as a m a t t e r 
o f l a w . T h i s i s so 
b e c a u s e 
" [ i ] t 
i s n o t t h e e m p l o y e e ' s p a r t i c u l a r 
j o b t h a t i s 
d e t e r m i n a t i v e , 
b u t 
t h e e m p l o y e e ' s 
c o n n e c t i o n t o 
a 
v e s s e l . " ' 
G i z o n i , 
s u p r a , a t 89 
( q u o t i n g W i l a n d e r , 
498 
U.S., 
a t 
354) 
( f o o t n o t e o m i t t e d ) . 
T h u s , 
we 
c o n c l u d e d , t h e J o n e s A c t remedy may 
be a v a i l a b l e 
t o 
m a r i t i m e w o r k e r s who 
a r e e m p l o y e d b y a s h i p y a r d and 
who 
s p e n d a p o r t i o n o f t h e i r t i m e w o r k i n g on 
s h o r e 
b u t s p e n d t h e r e s t o f t h e i r t i m e a t s e a . " 
515 U.S. 
a t 360-64 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
W i t h 
t h e 
f o r e g o i n g b a s i c 
p r i n c i p l e s 
e s t a b l i s h e d , 
t h e 
C h a n d r i s C o u r t t h e n 
a r t i c u l a t e d t h e 
f o l l o w i n g t w o - p a r t 
t e s t 
f o r d e t e r m i n i n g w h e t h e r a p a r t i c u l a r e m p l o y e e i s a seaman: 
" [ T ] h e e s s e n t i a l r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r seaman s t a t u s 
a r e 
t w o f o l d . 
F i r s t , 
as 
we 
e m p h a s i z e d 
i n 
[McDermott 
 
I n t ' l , I n c . v.] W i l a n d e r , 
[498 U.S. 
337 
( 1 9 9 1 ) , ] 
'an 
e m p l o y e e ' s d u t i e s must " c o n t r i b u t [ e ] t o t h e 
f u n c t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
v e s s e l 
o r 
t o 
t h e 
a c c o m p l i s h m e n t 
o f i t s 
m i s s i o n . " ' 
498 U.S., 
a t 355 
( q u o t i n g [ O f f s h o r e Co.  
v.] R o b i s o n , 266 F.2d 
[ 7 6 9 ] , 779 
[ ( 5 t h C i r . 1 9 5 9 ) ] ) . 
The 
J o n e s 
A c t ' s 
p r o t e c t i o n s , 
l i k e 
t h e 
o t h e r 
a d m i r a l t y 
p r o t e c t i o n s 
f o r seamen, 
o n l y 
e x t e n d 
t o 
t h o s e 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y e e s 
who 
do 
t h e 
s h i p ' s w o r k . 
B u t 
t h i s 
t h r e s h o l d r e q u i r e m e n t 
i s v e r y b r o a d : ' A l l 
who 
work 
a t 
s e a 
i n 
t h e 
s e r v i c e 
o f 
a 
s h i p ' 
a r e 
e l i g i b l e 
f o r seaman s t a t u s . 
498 U.S., 
a t 
354. 
" S e c o n d , 
and most 
i m p o r t a n t 
f o r o u r 
p u r p o s e s 
h e r e , a seaman must h a v e a c o n n e c t i o n t o a v e s s e l i n  
n a v i g a t i o n 
( o r 
t o 
an 
i d e n t i f i a b l e 
g r o u p 
o f 
s u c h 
 
v e s s e l s ) 
t h a t 
i s s u b s t a n t i a l 
i n t e r m s 
o f b o t h i t s  
d u r a t i o n and i t s n a t u r e . 
The f u n d a m e n t a l p u r p o s e 
o f 
t h i s 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
c o n n e c t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t 
i s t o g i v e 
f u l l 
e f f e c t 
t o 
t h e 
r e m e d i a l 
scheme 
c r e a t e d 
by 
C o n g r e s s 
and 
t o 
s e p a r a t e 
t h e 
s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
 
e m p l o y e e s who 
a r e 
e n t i t l e d 
t o J o n e s A c t 
p r o t e c t i o n  
f r o m 
t h o s e 
l a n d - b a s e d 
w o r k e r s 
who 
have 
o n l y 
a 
24 
1060016 
t r a n s i t o r y 
o r 
s p o r a d i c 
c o n n e c t i o n 
t o 
a 
v e s s e l 
i n 
 
n a v i g a t i o n , 
and 
t h e r e f o r e whose employment does 
n o t 
 
r e g u l a r l y e x p o s e them t o t h e 
p e r i l s 
o f t h e 
s e a . " 
515 
U.S. 
a t 368 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) .
1 2 
F u r t h e r , 
c o m m e n t i n g on 
t h e 
" t e m p o r a l " a s p e c t 
( d u r a t i o n ) 
o f a m a r i t i m e e m p l o y e e ' s c o n n e c t i o n 
t o a v e s s e l i n n a v i g a t i o n , 
t h e C h a n d r i s C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
" G e n e r a l l y , 
t h e 
F i f t h 
C i r c u i t 
seems 
t o 
h a v e 
i d e n t i f i e d 
an 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
r u l e 
o f 
thumb 
f o r 
t h e 
o r d i n a r y c a s e : 
A w o r k e r who 
s p e n d s l e s s t h a n a b o u t 
30 p e r c e n t o f h i s t i m e i n t h e s e r v i c e o f a v e s s e l 
i n 
n a v i g a t i o n 
s h o u l d 
n o t 
q u a l i f y as a seaman u n d e r 
t h e 
J o n e s A c t . 
T h i s 
f i g u r e o f c o u r s e s e r v e s as no more 
t h a n a g u i d e l i n e e s t a b l i s h e d by y e a r s o f 
e x p e r i e n c e , 
and d e p a r t u r e f r o m i t w i l l 
c e r t a i n l y be 
j u s t i f i e d 
i n 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
c a s e s . 
As 
we have s a i d , 
' [ t ] h e 
i n q u i r y 
i n t o seaman s t a t u s i s o f n e c e s s i t y f a c t s p e c i f i c ; i t 
1 2 I n 
h i s 
r e p l y 
b r i e f , 
F r a z i e r 
r e l i e s 
on 
a 
q u o t e 
f r o m 
C h a n d r i s t h a t i s q u o t i n g 
a s i m i l a r t w o - p a r t t e s t a r t i c u l a t e d 
b y t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A p p e a l s f o r t h e 
F i f t h C i r c u i t i n 
O f f s h o r e 
Co. 
v. R o b i s o n , 
266 
F.2d 
769, 
779 
( 5 t h C i r . 1 9 5 9 ) . 
515 
U.S. 
a t 
366. 
F r a z i e r d o e s 
n o t 
a t t r i b u t e t h e 
q u o t e 
t o 
R o b i s o n , h o w e v e r , and 
he 
a p p a r e n t l y 
d o e s n o t 
a p p r e h e n d 
t h a t 
e l e m e n t one 
o f t h e R o b i s o n t e s t i s s i m i l a r t o e l e m e n t two 
o f 
t h e C h a n d r i s t e s t a n d 
t h a t e l e m e n t two 
o f t h e R o b i s o n t e s t i s 
s i m i l a r 
t o 
e l e m e n t 
one 
o f 
t h e 
C h a n d r i s 
t e s t . 
T h i s 
i s 
i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e 
F r a z i e r ' s a r g u m e n t f r o m 
t h e 
R o b i s o n 
t e s t 
e m p h a s i z e s what i s e s s e n t i a l l y t h e 
f i r s t 
e l e m e n t o f t h e 
t e s t 
a n n o u n c e d i n C h a n d r i s . 
As 
d i s c u s s e d 
i n f r a 
i n t h i s 
o p i n i o n , 
h o w e v e r , t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
s p e c i f i c a l l y f o u n d t h a t an 
i s s u e 
o f 
m a t e r i a l f a c t e x i s t e d as t o w h e t h e r e l e m e n t one 
f r o m C h a n d r i s 
was 
s a t i s f i e d ; 
a 
f i n d i n g C o r e d o e s n o t 
d i s p u t e . 
The 
i s s u e 
t h a t we must d e c i d e i s w h e t h e r t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d when i t 
c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e r e was 
no g e n u i n e i s s u e r e g a r d i n g 
F r a z i e r ' s 
f a i l u r e t o 
s a t i s f y e l e m e n t two 
o f t h e C h a n d r i s 
t e s t . 
25 
1060016 
w i l l 
d e p e n d 
on 
t h e 
n a t u r e 
o f 
t h e 
v e s s e l 
and 
t h e 
e m p l o y e e ' s 
p r e c i s e 
r e l a t i o n 
t o 
i t . ' [ M c D e r m o t t  
I n t ' l , 
I n c . 
v.] 
W i l a n d e r , 
4 98 
U.S. 
[ 3 3 7 ] , 
a t 
356 
[ ( 1 9 9 1 ) ] . " 
515 
U.S. 
a t 371. 
The 
C o u r t c o n c l u d e d : 
" [ T ] h e J o n e s A c t 
was 
i n t e n d e d 
t o p r o t e c t s e a - b a s e d m a r i t i m e w o r k e r s , who 
owe 
t h e i r 
a l l e g i a n c e 
t o a v e s s e l , and 
n o t 
l a n d - b a s e d e m p l o y e e s , who 
do 
n o t . " 
I d . a t 
376. 
I n 
t h e 
p r e s e n t 
c a s e , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t 
a 
g e n u i n e i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l 
f a c t e x i s t e d as 
t o w h e t h e r 
F r a z i e r 
s a t i s f i e d t h e 
f i r s t 
e l e m e n t o f t h e C h a n d r i s t e s t .
1
3 
As 
t o 
t h e 
s e c o n d 
e l e m e n t , 
h o w e v e r , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d e t e r m i n e d 
t h a t 
F r a z i e r 
1 3 T h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
s t a t e d , 
t h a t 
t h e 
" ' c o n t r i b u t e 
t o 
t h e 
f u n c t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
v e s s e l ' 
p r o n g 
has 
b e e n 
g i v e n 
b r o a d 
c o n s t r u c t i o n by 
t h e 
c o u r t s 
and 
t h e C o u r t b e l i e v e s 
t h a t 
t h e r e 
i s 
a t 
l e a s t an 
i s s u e 
o f 
f a c t as 
t o w h e t h e r 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] w o r k 
c o n t r i b u t e d 
t o t h e 
f u n c t i o n 
o f C o r e ' s b a r g e s and 
o f f l o a d i n g 
o p e r a t i o n . " 
C o r e 
d o e s 
n o t 
d i s p u t e 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
c o n c l u s i o n 
t h a t an 
i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l 
f a c t s e x i s t s c o n c e r n i n g 
w h e t h e r F r a z i e r " c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e 
f u n c t i o n o f a v e s s e l " f o r 
p u r p o s e s o f t h e J o n e s A c t . 
See, 
e.g., 
Cook v. B e l d e n C o n c r e t e  
P r o d s . , 
I n c . , 
472 
F.2d 
999, 
1001-02 
( 5 t h 
C i r . 
1 9 7 3 ) ( " C o n v e n t i o n a l 
s h i p s 
and 
b a r g e s 
.. . w h i c h a r e 
d e s i g n e d 
f o r 
n a v i g a t i o n 
a n d 
commerce 
a r e 
v e s s e l s 
w i t h i n 
g e n e r a l 
m a r i t i m e 
a n d 
J o n e s A c t 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
and 
r e t a i n s u c h 
s t a t u s 
e v e n w h i l e m o o r e d , d r y - d o c k e d , 
o r o t h e r w i s e 
i m m o b i l i z e d 
and 
s e c u r e d 
t o 
l a n d . " ) ; 
s e e 
a l s o 
S t e w a r t , 
543 
U.S. 
a t 
4 8 8 - 9 5 ; 
Holmes v. A t l a n t i c S o u n d i n g Co., 
437 
F.3d 
441, 
448 
( 5 t h 
C i r . 
2 0 0 6 ) ; and A l l e n v. M o b i l e I n t e r s t a t e P i l e d r i v e r s , 
475 
So. 
2d 
530 
( A l a . 1985) . 
26 
1060016 
" p e r f o r m e d t h e b u l k o f h i s work e i t h e r on l a n d o r 
on 
s p u d b a r g e s t h a t were a l m o s t a l w a y s s p u d d e d down 
and 
t i e d 
o f f . 
[ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
c o n n e c t i o n 
t o 
a 
v e s s e l 
i n 
n a v i g a t i o n , i f any, 
was 
s p o r a d i c and e x t r e m e l y 
s h o r t 
i n d u r a t i o n , n o t 
s u b s t a n t i a l i n d u r a t i o n o r 
n a t u r e . 
[ F r a z i e r ] was 
n o t 
' e x p o s e d t o t h e p e r i l s 
o f t h e 
s e a ' 
as r e q u i r e d by 
C h a n d r i s . 
f i 
" H e r e , 
[ F r a z i e r ] was 
n o t 
a s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y e e whose 
d u t i e s 
r e g u l a r l y t o o k 
h i m 
t o 
s e a . 
I n s t e a d , 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
a r r i v e d 
a t 
w o r k 
e v e r y 
day 
by 
v e h i c l e 
and 
went home e v e r y 
n i g h t 
t o 
s l e e p 
i n 
h i s 
own 
b e d . 
[ F r a z i e r ] d i d 
n o t 
t a k e 
h i s m e a l s 
on 
t h e 
b o a t 
and 
d i d n o t 
s l e e p 
on 
t h e 
b o a t . 
[ F r a z i e r ] 
was 
n o t 
a member o f t h e c r e w s t h a t 
r e g u l a r l y o f f l o a d e d 
t h e b a r g e s and was 
n o t p a i d 
l i k e them. 
He r e g u l a r l y 
d i d 
w e l d i n g 
w o r k 
on 
i t e m s 
t h a t 
were 
on 
t h e 
l a n d 
w h i l e 
he 
was 
on 
l a n d . 
H i s b a s e o f o p e r a t i o n 
was 
a 
m e c h a n i c shop on 
l a n d . 
The w o r k t h a t 
[ F r a z i e r ] d i d 
on 
a b a r g e was 
a l m o s t a l w a y s done w h i l e 
t h e 
b a r g e 
was 
moored, 
s p u d d e d 
down, 
o r 
c o m p l e t e l y 
o u t 
o f 
o p e r a t i o n . 
He 
was 
n e v e r on 
a v e s s e l 
i n 
n a v i g a t i o n 
w h i l e w o r k i n g f o r C o r e , and 
t h e 
o n l y t i m e he was 
on 
a b a r g e t h a t was m o v i n g was when t h e b a r g e was 
b e i n g 
moved 
s h o r t 
d i s t a n c e s 
a l o n g 
t h e 
s h o r e l i n e 
by 
a 
c r a n e . 
These 
' t r i p s ' were i n f r e q u e n t 
and 
g e n e r a l l y 
t o o k b e t w e e n 
t h i r t y m i n u t e s and 
an h o u r . 
The 
w o r k 
t h a t he 
a c t u a l l y 
d i d w h i l e 
he 
was 
on 
a b a r g e , 
w i t h 
t h e 
e x c e p t i o n 
o f 
o c c a s i o n a l l y h a n d l i n g 
l i n e s , 
was 
done 
t h e r e 
o n l y 
b e c a u s e 
t h e 
i t e m 
t h a t 
he 
was 
r e p a i r i n g was 
l o c a t e d on 
t h e 
v e s s e l . " 
B a s e d on 
i t s j u d g m e n t , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a p p e a r s 
t o h a v e 
c o n c l u d e d 
(1) 
t h a t 
F r a z i e r d i d n o t w o r k on b a r g e s t h a t were 
" i n 
n a v i g a t i o n " 
and 
(2) 
t h a t 
F r a z i e r ' s c o n n e c t i o n 
t o 
b a r g e s 
" i n n a v i g a t i o n " was 
n o t 
" s u b s t a n t i a l i n d u r a t i o n 
and 
n a t u r e " 
27 
1060016 
f o r p u r p o s e s o f t h e J o n e s A c t . 
As t o t h e i s s u e o f when a 
v e s s e l 
i s c o n s i d e r e d 
" i n n a v i g a t i o n , " 
t h e C h a n d r i s 
C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
"Under o u r p r e c e d e n t and t h e l a w p r e v a i l i n g i n 
t h e 
C i r c u i t s , 
i t i s g e n e r a l l y 
a c c e p t e d 
t h a t 
'a 
v e s s e l d o e s n o t c e a s e t o be a v e s s e l when she i s 
n o t 
v o y a g i n g , 
b u t 
i s a t 
a n c h o r , 
b e r t h e d , 
o r 
a t 
d o c k s i d e , ' 
D i G i o v a n n i 
v. T r a y l o r B r o s . , I n c . , 
959 
F.2d 
1119, 1121 (CA1) (en b a n c ) , 
c e r t . 
d e n i e d , 506 
U.S. 827 ( 1 9 9 2 ) , e v e n when t h e v e s s e l i s u n d e r g o i n g 
r e p a i r s . 
See ... [2 M. 
N o r r i s , Law o f Seamen § 
30.13,] a t 364 
[ ( 4 t h e d . 1 9 8 5 ) ] ( ' [ A ] 
v e s s e l i s 
i n 
n a v i g a t i o n ... when i t 
r e t u r n s 
f r o m a v o y a g e and 
i s 
t a k e n t o a d r y d o c k o r s h i p y a r d t o u n d e r g o r e p a i r s i n 
p r e p a r a t i o n 
t o m a k i n g a n o t h e r 
t r i p , and l i k e w i s e a 
v e s s e l i s i n n a v i g a t i o n , 
a l t h o u g h moored t o a d o c k , 
i f 
i t r e m a i n s 
i n r e a d i n e s s 
f o r a n o t h e r 
v o y a g e ' 
( f o o t n o t e s 
o m i t t e d ) ) . 
A t 
some 
p o i n t , 
h o w e v e r , 
r e p a i r s 
become 
s u f f i c i e n t l y 
s i g n i f i c a n t 
t h a t t h e 
v e s s e l c a n no l o n g e r 
be c o n s i d e r e d 
i n n a v i g a t i o n . 
I n West v . U n i t e d 
S t a t e s , 361 U.S. 118 
( 1 9 5 9 ) , we 
h e l d 
t h a t a s h o r e s i d e 
w o r k e r was n o t e n t i t l e d t o 
r e c o v e r 
f o r u n s e a w o r t h i n e s s b e c a u s e t h e v e s s e l on 
w h i c h he was i n j u r e d was u n d e r g o i n g an o v e r h a u l f o r 
t h e 
p u r p o s e o f m a k i n g h e r s e a w o r t h y and 
t h e r e f o r e 
had 
b e e n w i t h d r a w n 
f r o m 
n a v i g a t i o n . 
We 
e x p l a i n e d 
t h a t , i n s u c h c a s e s , ' t h e f o c u s 
s h o u l d be upon t h e 
s t a t u s o f t h e s h i p , t h e p a t t e r n o f t h e r e p a i r s , and 
t h e 
e x t e n s i v e 
n a t u r e o f t h e work 
c o n t r a c t e d 
t o be 
d o n e . ' 
I d . , a t 122. ... 
The g e n e r a l 
r u l e among t h e 
C o u r t s o f A p p e a l s i s t h a t v e s s e l s u n d e r g o i n g r e p a i r s 
o r 
s p e n d i n g a 
r e l a t i v e l y 
s h o r t 
p e r i o d 
o f t i m e i n 
d r y d o c k a r e s t i l l 
c o n s i d e r e d 
t o be ' i n n a v i g a t i o n ' 
w h e r e a s 
s h i p s 
b e i n g 
t r a n s f o r m e d 
t h r o u g h 
' m a j o r ' 
o v e r h a u l s o r r e n o v a t i o n s 
a r e n o t . " 
515 U.S. a t 373-74. 
28 
1060016 
I n 
l i g h t 
o f t h e f o r e g o i n g 
l a n g u a g e 
f r o m 
C h a n d r i s , t h e 
b a r g e on w h i c h F r a z i e r was i n j u r e d i n M a r c h 2005 a r g u a b l y h a d 
n o t 
b e e n 
t a k e n 
o u t o f s e r v i c e a n d was " i n n a v i g a t i o n " f o r 
p u r p o s e s o f t h e J o n e s A c t . The same a r g u m e n t c a n be made as 
t o 
most 
o f F r a z i e r ' s o t h e r 
w o r k 
on C o r e ' s 
b a r g e s , 
w h i c h 
i n v o l v e d b a r g e s t h a t m i g h t be c o n s i d e r e d " i n 
n a v i g a t i o n " f o r 
p u r p o s e s 
o f t h e J o n e s 
A c t . 
We 
p r e t e r m i t 
c o n s i d e r a t i o n , 
h o w e v e r , o f w h e t h e r t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t e r r e d when i t c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t 
F r a z i e r 
"was 
n e v e r 
on a v e s s e l 
i n n a v i g a t i o n 
w h i l e 
w o r k i n g f o r 
C o r e . " 
As h e r e i n a f t e r d i s c u s s e d , F r a z i e r ' s J o n e s 
A c t 
c l a i m s 
f a i l b e c a u s e t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t was c o r r e c t i n i t s 
d e t e r m i n a t i o n 
t h a t no g e n u i n e 
i s s u e 
e x i s t s 
as t o w h e t h e r 
F r a z i e r ' s 
r e l a t i o n s h i p 
t o 
v e s s e l s 
i n 
n a v i g a t i o n 
was 
s u b s t a n t i a l i n n a t u r e f o r 
p u r p o s e s o f t h e J o n e s A c t . 
As t h e C h a n d r i s 
C o u r t 
n o t e d : 
" [ T ] h e 
q u e s t i o n o f who i s a 'member o f a c r e w , ' a n d 
t h e r e f o r e who i s a 'seaman,' i s a m i x e d q u e s t i o n o f 
l a w a n d f a c t . 
B e c a u s e s t a t u t o r y t e r m s a r e a t i s s u e , 
t h e i r 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s a q u e s t i o n o f l a w a n d i t i s 
t h e c o u r t ' s d u t y t o d e f i n e t h e a p p r o p r i a t e 
s t a n d a r d . 
[ M c D e r m o t t 
I n t ' l , I n c . 
v.] W i l a n d e r , 
498 U.S. [337] 
a t 
356 
[ ( 1 9 9 1 ) ] . 
On 
t h e 
o t h e r 
h a n d , 
' [ i ] f 
r e a s o n a b l e 
p e r s o n s , 
a p p l y i n g 
t h e 
p r o p e r 
l e g a l 
s t a n d a r d , 
c o u l d 
d i f f e r as t o w h e t h e r t h e e m p l o y e e 
was a "member o f a c r e w , " i t 
i s a q u e s t i o n f o r 
t h e 
j u r y . ' 
I b i d . 
... 
The 
j u r y 
s h o u l d be 
p e r m i t t e d , 
when d e t e r m i n i n g w h e t h e r a m a r i t i m e e m p l o y e e h a s t h e 
29 
1060016 
r e q u i s i t e e m p l o y m e n t - r e l a t e d c o n n e c t i o n t o a v e s s e l 
i n n a v i g a t i o n t o q u a l i f y as a member o f t h e v e s s e l ' s 
c r e w , t o c o n s i d e r a l l 
r e l e v a n t c i r c u m s t a n c e s b e a r i n g 
on t h e two e l e m e n t s 
o u t l i n e d 
a b o v e . " 
515 U.S. a t 369. The C o u r t c o n t i n u e d : 
" I n 
o u r 
v i e w , 
' t h e 
t o t a l 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
o f an 
i n d i v i d u a l ' s employment must be w e i g h e d t o d e t e r m i n e 
w h e t h e r 
he 
h a d 
a 
s u f f i c i e n t 
r e l a t i o n 
t o t h e  
n a v i g a t i o n 
o f 
v e s s e l s 
a n d t h e 
p e r i l s 
a t t e n d a n t 
 
t h e r e o n . ' 
W a l l a c e v. O c e a n e e r i n g 
I n t ' l , 
727 F.2d 
427, 
432 (CA5 1 
9 8 4 ) . 
The d u r a t i o n o f a 
w o r k e r ' s 
c o n n e c t i o n 
t o a 
v e s s e l 
a n d t h e n a t u r e 
o f t h e  
w o r k e r ' s 
a c t i v i t i e s , 
t a k e n 
t o g e t h e r , 
d e t e r m i n e 
w h e t h e r a m a r i t i m e e m p l o y e e i s 
a seaman b e c a u s e t h e 
u l t i m a t e 
i n q u i r y i s w h e t h e r t h e w o r k e r i n q u e s t i o n 
i s 
a member 
o f t h e v e s s e l ' s 
c r e w 
o r 
s i m p l y a  
l a n d - b a s e d e m p l o y e e who h a p p e n s t o be w o r k i n g on 
t h e 
 
v e s s e l a t a g i v e n t i m e . " 
515 U.S. a t 370 ( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
A l t h o u g h 
F r a z i e r ' s 
a r g u m e n t 
p a r r o t s 
t h e l a n g u a g e 
o f 
C h a n d r i s so t h a t 
s u p e r f i c i a l l y 
t h e r e a p p e a r s t o be m e r i t i n 
h i s c o n t e n t i o n t h a t he h a d a c o n n e c t i o n t o C o r e ' s b a r g e s 
t h a t 
was 
s u b s t a n t i a l i n n a t u r e f o r 
p u r p o s e s o f t h e J o n e s A c t , 
h i s 
a r g u m e n t 
i s a t odds 
w i t h 
t h e f u n d a m e n t a l 
p u r p o s e 
o f t h e 
" s u b s t a n t i a l c o n n e c t i o n " r e q u i r e m e n t . 
As t h e C h a n d r i s C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
"The 
f u n d a m e n t a l 
p u r p o s e 
o f 
t h i s 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
c o n n e c t i o n 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
i s ... 
t o 
s e p a r a t e t h e  
s e a - b a s e d 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y e e s 
who a r e e n t i t l e d t o  
J o n e s A c t p r o t e c t i o n 
f r o m t h o s e l a n d - b a s e d 
w o r k e r s 
30 
1060016 
... whose e m p l o y m e n t does n o t r e g u l a r l y e x p o s e them  
t o 
t h e p e r i l s o f t h e 
s e a . " 
515 U.S. 
a t 368 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
P e r h a p s more i m p o r t a n t l y , s u b s e q u e n t 
t o i t s d e c i s i o n i n 
C h a n d r i s , t h e Supreme C o u r t 
s t a t e d : 
" F o r t h e s u b s t a n t i a l c o n n e c t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t t o s e r v e 
i t s 
p u r p o s e , 
t h e 
i n q u i r y 
i n t o 
t h e 
n a t u r e 
o f 
t h e 
e m p l o y e e ' s c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e v e s s e l must c o n c e n t r a t e 
on w h e t h e r 
t h e e m p l o y e e ' s d u t i e s t a k e h i m 
t o 
s e a .  
T h i s 
w i l l 
g i v e s u b s t a n c e 
t o t h e 
i n q u i r y b o t h as 
t o  
t h e d u r a t i o n and n a t u r e o f t h e e m p l o y e e ' s c o n n e c t i o n  
t o 
t h e 
v e s s e l 
and 
be 
h e l p f u l 
i n 
d i s t i n g u i s h i n g 
 
l a n d - b a s e d 
f r o m s e a - b a s e d 
e m p l o y e e s . " 
H a r b o r 
Tug 
& B a r g e Co. v. P a p a i , 520 
U.S. 
548, 
555 
( 1 9 9 7 ) . 
I n P a p a i , t h e C o u r t h e l d t h a t P a p a i d i d n o t meet t h e 
t e s t 
f o r 
seaman s t a t u s , n o t i n g : 
" P a p a i was 
q u a l i f i e d u n d e r t h e IBU 
[ I n l a n d Boatman's 
U n i o n ] D e c k h a n d s A g r e e m e n t t o p e r f o r m 
n o n - s e a g o i n g 
w o r k i n a d d i t i o n 
t o t h e 
s e a g o i n g 
d u t i e s d e s c r i b e d 
a b o v e . 
H i s a c t u a l d u t y on t h e P t . B a r r o w 
t h r o u g h o u t 
t h e 
e m p l o y m e n t 
i n 
q u e s t i o n 
d i d 
n o t 
i n c l u d e 
any 
s e a g o i n g 
a c t i v i t y ; he was 
h i r e d f o r one day t o p a i n t  
t h e v e s s e l a t d o c k s i d e and he was 
n o t g o i n g t o 
s a i l 
 
w i t h t h e v e s s e l a f t e r he f i n i s h e d p a i n t i n g 
i t . 
T h i s 
i s 
n o t 
a 
c a s e 
where 
t h e 
e m p l o y e e 
was 
h i r e d 
t o 
 
p e r f o r m 
s e a g o i n g 
w o r k 
d u r i n g 
t h e 
e m p l o y m e n t 
i n 
q u e s t i o n , h o w e v e r 
b r i e f , 
and 
we 
n e e d n o t 
c o n s i d e r 
h e r e 
t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s 
o f s u c h 
an e m p l o y m e n t . 
The 
IBU 
D e c k h a n d s A g r e e m e n t g i v e s no 
r e a s o n 
t o assume 
t h a t any p a r t i c u l a r p e r c e n t a g e o f P a p a i ' s w o r k w o u l d 
be 
o f 
a 
s e a g o i n g 
n a t u r e , 
s u b j e c t i n g 
h i m 
t o 
t h e 
p e r i l s 
o f 
t h e 
s e a . 
I n 
t h e s e 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s , 
t h e 
u n i o n a g r e e m e n t d o e s n o t a d v a n c e t h e a c c u r a c y o f t h e 
s e a m a n - s t a t u s 
i n q u i r y . 
31 
1060016 
" P a p a i 
a r g u e s 
he 
q u a l i f i e s 
as 
a seaman 
i f we 
c o n s i d e r 
h i s 12 
p r i o r 
e m p l o y m e n t s w i t h H a r b o r 
Tug 
o v e r 
t h e 
2^ 
months 
b e f o r e 
h i s 
i n j u r y . 
P a p a i 
t e s t i f i e d 
a t h i s d e p o s i t i o n t h a t he w o r k e d 
a b o a r d 
t h e P t . B a r r o w on t h r e e o r f o u r o c c a s i o n s b e f o r e t h e 
day 
he 
was 
i n j u r e d , 
t h e most 
r e c e n t 
o f w h i c h 
was 
more t h a n a week e a r l i e r . 
E a c h o f t h e s e e n g a g e m e n t s  
i n v o l v e d 
o n l y m a i n t e n a n c e work 
w h i l e 
t h e 
t u g 
was 
 
d o c k e d . 
The n a t u r e o f P a p a i ' s c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e P t .  
B a r r o w 
was 
no 
more 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
f o r 
s e a m a n - s t a t u s 
p u r p o s e s by v i r t u e o f t h e s e e n g a g e m e n t s t h a n t h e 
one 
d u r i n g 
w h i c h 
he 
was 
i n j u r e d . 
P a p a i 
does 
n o t 
i d e n t i f y w i t h s p e c i f i c i t y what he d i d f o r H a r b o r 
Tug 
t h e 
o t h e r 
e i g h t 
o r 
n i n e 
t i m e s 
he 
w o r k e d 
f o r 
t h e 
company 
i n t h e 
2^ months b e f o r e 
h i s 
i n j u r y . 
The 
 
c l o s e s t he comes i s h i s d e p o s i t i o n t e s t i m o n y t h a t 70  
p e r c e n t o f h i s w o r k o v e r t h e 2 1/4 
y e a r s b e f o r e h i s  
i n j u r y 
was 
d e c k h a n d w o r k . 
C o u p l e d 
w i t h 
t h e 
f a c t 
 
t h a t none o f P a p a i ' s w o r k a b o a r d t h e P t . B a r r o w 
was 
 
o f a s e a g o i n g n a t u r e , i t w o u l d n o t be r e a s o n a b l e 
t o  
i n f e r 
f r o m 
P a p a i ' s 
t e s t i m o n y 
t h a t 
h i s 
r e c e n t 
 
e n g a g e m e n t s 
w i t h 
H a r b o r 
Tug 
i n v o l v e d work 
o f 
a 
 
s e a g o i n g 
n a t u r e . 
I n 
any 
e v e n t , 
t h e s e 
d i s c r e t e 
e n g a g e m e n t s were s e p a r a t e f r o m t h e one 
i n q u e s t i o n , 
w h i c h 
was 
t h e 
s o r t 
o f 
' t r a n s i t o r y 
o r 
s p o r a d i c ' 
c o n n e c t i o n t o a v e s s e l o r g r o u p o f v e s s e l s t h a t , 
as 
we 
e x p l a i n e d i n C h a n d r i s , d o e s n o t 
q u a l i f y 
one 
f o r 
seaman s t a t u s . 
515 U.S., 
a t 
368." 
520 
U.S. 
a t 559-60 
( r e f e r e n c e s t o r e c o r d o m i t t e d ; 
e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
B a s e d on t h e r a t i o n a l e b e h i n d t h e " s u b s t a n t i a l i n n a t u r e " 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
a n n o u n c e d i n C h a n d r i s 
and 
on t h e 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
and a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h a t l a n g u a g e 
i n P a p a i , we a r e c l e a r t o t h e 
c o n c l u s i o n t h a t t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t d i d n o t e r r when i t d e t e r m i n e d 
32 
1060016 
t h a t no g e n u i n e i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l f a c t e x i s t e d as t o w h e t h e r 
F r a z i e r ' s 
c o n n e c t i o n 
t o 
C o r e ' s 
b a r g e s 
was 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
i n 
n a t u r e . 
F r a z i e r was 
a l a n d - b a s e d e m p l o y e e whose w o r k was 
n o t 
o f 
a s e a g o i n g 
n a t u r e ; 
he 
was 
n o t 
" r e g u l a r l y e x p o s e d 
t o 
t h e 
p e r i l s 
o f 
t h e 
s e a " 
w h i l e 
p e r f o r m i n g 
h i s 
w o r k 
f o r 
C o r e . 
Compare, e.g., 
R i c h a r d 
v. M i k e H o o k s , I n c . , 
799 
So. 
2d 
462, 
466-67 ( L a . 2 
0 
0 1 ) ( " R i c h a r d ' s 
t i m e s p e n t a b o a r d H o o k s ' s v e s s e l s 
and 
t h e 
p e r i l s 
he 
f a c e d must be 
c o n s i d e r e d 
a l o n g 
w i t h 
o t h e r 
i m p o r t a n t 
f a c t s t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r h i s c o n n e c t i o n [ s ] 
w i t h 
d e f e n d a n t ' s v e s s e l s a r e s u b s t a n t i a l i n n a t u r e and d u r a t i o n . I n 
t h i s 
p a r t i c u l a r 
i n s t a n c e , 
we 
c o n s i d e r 
an 
a n a l y s i s 
o f 
t h e 
f o l l o w i n g : 
a l l o f t h e v e s s e l s on w h i c h p l a i n t i f f w o r k e d were 
d o c k s i d e ; 
he was 
n e v e r more t h a n a g a n g p l a n k ' s d i s t a n c e 
f r o m 
s h o r e when w o r k i n g on 
t h e v e s s e l s ; some o f t h e v e s s e l s were 
p a r t i a l l y on l a n d w h i l e b e i n g 
r e p a i r e d ; he n e v e r s l e p t on 
t h e 
v e s s e l s ; he d i d n o t e a t on t h e v e s s e l s ; he d i d n o t keep w a t c h 
on v e s s e l s 
o v e r n i g h t ; 
he 
was 
n o t 
a member o f H o o k s ' s d r e d g e 
c r e w t h a t p e r f o r m e d w e l d i n g 
on d r e d g e s i n o p e r a t i o n ; he 
n e v e r 
w o r k e d 
on 
a 
v e s s e l 
w h i l e 
i t was 
p e r f o r m i n g 
i t s 
p r i m a r y 
m i s s i o n ; he t o o k h i s o r d e r s f r o m a l a n d - b a s e d f o r e m a n ; he 
was 
o n l y a b o a r d s m a l l m o v i n g v e s s e l s once e v e r y month, f o r 
s h o r t 
33 
1060016 
d u r a t i o n s , where he 
a s s i s t e d i n m o v i n g d r e d g e p i p e 
a l o n g 
a 
c a n a l a d j a c e n t 
t o H o o k s ' s y a r d ; 
and h i s r e p a i r d u t i e s d i d 
n o t 
t a k e 
h i m 
t o s e a . 
W h i l e none o f t h e s e 
i n d i v i d u a l 
f a c t s a l o n e 
p r o h i b i t 
an 
e m p l o y e e 
f r o m 
a t t a i n i n g 
seaman 
s t a t u s , 
a 
c o n s i d e r a t i o n 
o f 
them 
t o g e t h e r 
shows 
t h a t 
R i c h a r d 
was 
a 
l a n d - b a s e d e m p l o y e e , n o t 
a seaman." 
( f o o t n o t e 
o m i t t e d ) ) . 
F u r t h e r , t h e LHWCA s p e c i f i c a l l y d e f i n e s an " e m p l o y e e " f o r 
p u r p o s e s 
o f 
t h a t 
a c t 
as 
"any 
p e r s o n 
e n g a g e d 
i n 
m a r i t i m e 
e m p l o y m e n t , i n c l u d i n g any l o n g s h o r e m a n o r o t h e r p e r s o n e n g a g e d 
i n l o n g s h o r i n g 
o p e r a t i o n s , 
and 
any h a r b o r - w o r k e r i n c l u d i n g a 
s h i p r e p a i r m a n , s h i p b u i l d e r , and 
s h i p - b r e a k e r . " 
33 U.S.C. § 
9 0 2 ( 3 ) ( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
f o u n d t h a t 
F r a z i e r 
was 
a s h i p r e p a i r m a n and, t h o u g h he 
t e s t i f i e d t h a t he a c t e d 
as 
a " d e c k h a n d " on o c c a s i o n , t h e o n l y s p e c i f i c t e s t i m o n y 
he 
g i v e s 
c o n c e r n i n g 
what 
he 
d i d 
as 
a 
" d e c k h a n d " 
r e l a t e d 
t o 
h i s 
o c c a s i o n a l l y a s s i s t i n g w i t h m a t t e r s r e l a t e d t o t h e l o a d i n g 
and 
u n l o a d i n g 
o f 
t h e 
b a r g e s 
a t 
d o c k s i d e . 
I n 
f a c t , 
F r a z i e r 
c o n c e d e d 
t h a t 
so 
f a r as 
h i s w o r k was 
c o n c e r n e d , 
t h e 
b a r g e s 
e s s e n t i a l l y 
s e r v e d 
as work p l a t f o r m s . 
T h e r e i s no 
e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t he p e r f o r m e d t h e 
d u t i e s o f a " d e c k h a n d " away 
f r o m t h e d o c k on open w a t e r , i . e . , " d u t i e s t h a t 
[ t o o k ] 
h i m 
t o 
34 
1060016 
s e a " 
where 
t h e 
b a r g e s 
were 
b e i n g 
p u s h e d 
by 
t u g b o a t 
t o 
t r a n s p o r t 
c a r g o . 
See 
P a p a i , 520 
U.S. 
a t 555. 
U n d e r 
t h e s e 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s , 
i f F r a z i e r 
i s a seaman 
f o r p u r p o s e s 
o f 
t h e 
J o n e s A c t , t h e n v i r t u a l l y a l l 
l o n g s h o r e m e n , who 
t y p i c a l l y w o r k 
on 
s h i p 
d u r i n g 
t h e 
l o a d i n g 
and 
u n l o a d i n g 
p r o c e s s , 
see 
 
N o r t h e a s t M a r i n e T e r m i n a l Co. v. C a p u t o , 432 U.S. 
249, 254 
n.4 
( 1 9 7 7 ) , 
c o u l d be 
c l a s s i f i e d 
as 
a seamen as 
w e l l . 
S u c h 
an 
e x p a n s i v e v i e w o f seaman s t a t u s w o u l d 
v i r t u a l l y e l i m i n a t e t h e 
d i s t i n c t i o n 
C o n g r e s s 
has drawn b e t w e e n t h e t y p e s o f e m p l o y e e s 
who 
a r e " e n g a g e [ d ] i n m a r i t i m e e m p l o y m e n t , " as i l l u s t r a t e d i n 
§ 9 0 2 ( 3 ) , and t h o s e e m p l o y e e s who 
a r e "member[s] o f a c r e w o f 
any 
v e s s e l . " 
See, 
e.g., 
R o b e r t s 
v. 
I n g r a m B a r g e Co., 
[No. 
5:06-CV-00210-R, A p r i l 16, 2009] 
F. Supp. 
2d 
, 
(W.D. 
Ky. 2 
0 
0 
9 ) ( s t a t i n g i n r e g a r d t o a w e l d e r who 
" s p e n t a l l o f h i s 
w o r k d a y 
e i t h e r 
i n t h e 
f l e e t s 
o r p e r f o r m i n g 
r e p a i r w o r k 
on 
b a r g e s 
t h a t were moored 
a l o n g s i d e t h e 
d o c k " : 
"The 
h a z a r d s 
R o b e r t s 
s t a t e s 
he 
f a c e d 
do 
n o t 
r i s e 
t o 
t h e 
l e v e l 
o f 
t h e 
s p e c i a l h a z a r d s 
and 
d i s a d v a n t a g e s 
f a c e d by seaman; t h e y 
a r e 
h a z a r d s 
t h a t 
l o n g s h o r e m e n 
commonly 
e n c o u n t e r . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
R o b e r t s was 
an i n t e n d e d b e n e f i c i a r y o f t h e LHWCA."). 
P e r h a p s 
more 
i m p o r t a n t l y , s u c h 
an 
e x p a n s i v e 
v i e w 
o f seaman 
s t a t u s 
35 
1060016 
w o u l d remove t h e s a f e h a r b o r o f t h e 
LHWCA's n o - f a u l t m a r i t i m e -
w o r k e r s ' - c o m p e n s a t i o n 
scheme f o r many p e r s o n s who a r e " e n g a g e d 
i n m a r i t i m e e m p l o y m e n t , " l e a v i n g them t o n a v i g a t e t h r o u g h t h e 
t o r t - b a s e d schemes t h e LHWCA was i n t e n d e d t o d i s p l a c e .
1
4 
C o n s i d e r i n g t h e t o t a l i t y 
o f t h e e v i d e n t i a r y m a t e r i a l s 
p r e s e n t e d 
t o t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t , 
we 
c a n n o t 
c o n c l u d e 
t h a t 
r e a s o n a b l e 
j u r o r s 
c o u l d 
d i f f e r 
as 
t o w h e t h e r 
F r a z i e r ' s 
1
4 F r a z i e r 
r e l i e s 
upon 
S t e w a r t , 
w h i c h 
i n v o l v e d 
c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e § 9 0 2 ( 3 ) ( G ) e x c e p t i o n ("a 
m a s t e r o r member o f a c r e w o f a n y v e s s e l " ) . 
S t e w a r t , h o w e v e r , 
d o e s n o t a d d r e s s t h e i s s u e o f what c o n n e c t i o n t o a v e s s e l i n 
n a v i g a t i o n i s n e c e s s a r y f o r 
t h e c o n n e c t i o n t o be c o n s i d e r e d 
" s u b s t a n t i a l i n d u r a t i o n a n d n a t u r e . " 
See 543 U.S. a t 488 
("We b e g a n c l a r i f y i n g t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f ' s e a m a n ' i n 
a p a i r o f 
c a s e s , M c D e r m o t t I n t ' l I n c . v. W i l a n d e r , s u p r a , a n d C h a n d r i s , 
s u p r a , t h a t a d d r e s s e d t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p a w o r k e r must h a v e t o 
a v e s s e l i n o r d e r t o be a ' m a s t e r o f member' o f i t s c r e w . 
We 
now t u r n t o t h e o t h e r h a l f o f t h e LHWCA's e q u a t i o n : 
how t o 
d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r a w a t e r c r a f t i s 
a ' v e s s e l . ' " ) . 
I n f a c t , on 
remand f r o m S t e w a r t , when t h e e m p l o y e r a t t e m p t e d t o r a i s e t h e 
s u b s t a n t i a l - d u r a t i o n - a n d - n a t u r e i s s u e , t h e 
U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t 
o f 
A p p e a l s 
f o r t h e F i r s t 
C i r c u i t 
n o t e d 
t h a t t h e e m p l o y e r 
a l r e a d y h a d c o n c e d e d t h e i s s u e i n p r i o r p r o c e e d i n g s a n d t h a t 
i t was t h e r e f o r e p r e c l u d e d f r o m r a i s i n g 
i t . 
S t e w a r t , 418 F . 3 d 
a t 3 5 - 3 6 . 
I n a n y e v e n t , t h e e m p l o y e e i n S t e w a r t was "a m a r i n e 
e n g i n e e r " who was h i r e d t o m a i n t a i n t h e m e c h a n i c a l 
s y s t e m s on 
a l a r g e d r e d g e and who s p e n t 99% o f h i s 
t i m e o n b o a r d w h i l e t h e 
d r e d g e 
was 
p e r f o r m i n g 
i t s d r e d g i n g 
o p e r a t i o n s 
i n 
B o s t o n 
H a r b o r . 
B y c o n t r a s t , F r a z i e r o f f e r e d no e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g 
t h a t he w o r k e d on C o r e ' s b a r g e s away f r o m t h e s h o r e l i n e w h i l e 
t h e y 
w e r e 
a c t u a l l y 
p e r f o r m i n g 
t h e i r 
w o r k o f t r a n s p o r t i n g 
c a r g o , w h e r e he m i g h t h a v e b e e n 
" r e g u l a r l y 
e x p o s e d t o t h e 
p e r i l s o f t h e s e a . " 
36 
1060016 
c o n n e c t i o n t o 
a v e s s e l i n 
n a v i g a t i o n was s u b s t a n t i a l i n n a t u r e 
f o r 
p u r p o s e s 
o f t h e J o n e s A c t . 
A c c o r d i n g l y , 
F r a z i e r ' s 
n e g l i g e n c e 
c l a i m 
( c o u n t 1 ) , w h i c h he b a s e d on h i s s t a t u s as 
an 
" a b l e - b o d i e d 
seaman," 
f a i l s . 
L i k e w i s e , h i s 
J o n e s A c t c l a i m 
( c o u n t 2) a n d h i s 
u n s e a w o r t h i n e s s 
c l a i m 
( c o u n t 3) f a i l . 
As 
f o r 
F r a z i e r ' s 
c l a i m s 
b a s e d 
on C o r e ' s 
a l l e g e d 
w a n t o n o r 
r e c k l e s s a c t i o n 
( c o u n t 4 ) , F r a z i e r makes no s p e c i f i c a r g u m e n t 
a d d r e s s i n g 
t h e d e n i a l 
o f 
t h i s 
" c l a i m , " 
a n d he 
c i t e s 
no 
a u t h o r i t y 
t h a t w o u l d s u p p o r t a r u l i n g 
t h a t t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d b y d e n y i n g t h i s " c l a i m . " 
Thus, a n y a r g u m e n t r e l a t i n g t o 
t h a t c o u n t i s 
w a i v e d . 
Chunn v . W h i s e n a n t , 877 So. 
2d 595, 601 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 3 ) . 
B. 
S e c t i o n 
905(b) 
F r a z i e r ' s 
r e m a i n i n g a r g u m e n t i s t h a t 
e v e n i f 
he i s 
an 
e m p l o y e e u n d e r t h e 
LHWCA i n s t e a d o f a seaman f o r p u r p o s e s o f 
h i s J o n e s A c t c l a i m s , he i s 
e n t i t l e d t o m a i n t a i n a 
n e g l i g e n c e 
a c t i o n a g a i n s t C o r e u n d e r t h e 
§ 9 0 5 ( b ) e x c e p t i o n t o e x c l u s i v e 
l i a b i l i t y 
f o u n d i n § 9 0 5 ( a ) o f t h e LHWCA. 
S e c t i o n 
9 0 5 ( b ) 
s t a t e s : 
" I n t h e e v e n t o f i n j u r y 
t o a p e r s o n 
c o v e r e d 
u n d e r 
t h i s 
c h a p t e r 
c a u s e d b y t h e n e g l i g e n c e 
o f a 
v e s s e l , 
t h e n 
s u c h 
p e r s o n , 
o r anyone 
o t h e r w i s e 
e n t i t l e d t o r e c o v e r 
damages b y r e a s o n 
t h e r e o f , may 
37 
1060016 
b r i n g an a c t i o n a g a i n s t s u c h v e s s e l as a t h i r d 
p a r t y 
i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f s e c t i o n 933 o f 
t h i s 
t i t l e , and t h e e m p l o y e r 
s h a l l n o t be l i a b l e t o 
t h e 
v e s s e l f o r s u c h damages d i r e c t l y o r 
i n d i r e c t l y 
and 
any a g r e e m e n t s o r w a r r a n t i e s 
t o t h e 
c o n t r a r y 
s h a l l be v o i d . ... 
I f s u c h p e r s o n was e m p l o y e d t o 
p r o v i d e 
s h i p b u i l d i n g , 
r e p a i r i n g , 
o r 
b r e a k i n g 
s e r v i c e s and s u c h p e r s o n ' s e m p l o y e r was t h e owner, 
owner p r o h a c v i c e , a g e n t , o p e r a t o r , o r c h a r t e r e r o f 
t h e 
v e s s e l , no s u c h 
a c t i o n 
s h a l l be p e r m i t t e d , i n  
w h o l e o r i n p a r t o r d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y , 
a g a i n s t 
 
t h e 
i n j u r e d 
p e r s o n ' s 
e m p l o y e r 
( i n any 
c a p a c i t y ,  
i n c l u d i n g as t h e v e s s e l ' s owner, owner p r o h a c v i c e , 
a g e n t , 
o p e r a t o r , 
o r 
c h a r t e r e r ) 
o r 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
e m p l o y e e s o f t h e e m p l o y e r . 
The 
l i a b i l i t y 
o f t h e 
v e s s e l u n d e r t h i s s u b s e c t i o n 
s h a l l n o t be b a s e d upon 
t h e w a r r a n t y o f s e a w o r t h i n e s s o r a b r e a c h t h e r e o f a t 
t h e 
t i m e t h e i n j u r y 
o c c u r r e d . 
The remedy 
p r o v i d e d 
i n 
t h i s 
s u b s e c t i o n 
s h a l l be e x c l u s i v e o f a l l o t h e r 
r e m e d i e s 
a g a i n s t 
t h e 
v e s s e l 
e x c e p t 
r e m e d i e s 
a v a i l a b l e u n d e r t h i s 
c h a p t e r . " 
33 U.S.C. § 9 0 5 ( b ) ( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t n o t e d i n i t s j u d g m e n t 
t h a t 
" [ F r a z i e r ' s ] 
c o u n s e l 
a r g u e d i n 
h i s o p p o s i t i o n 
b r i e f 
and a t t h e h e a r i n g 
t h a t 
[ F r a z i e r ] h a s a v a l i d 
c l a i m 
u n d e r 33 U.S.C. § 9 0 5 ( b ) o f t h e LHWCA. 
T h i s 
c l a i m 
was 
n o t p l e d i n [ F r a z i e r ' s ] C o m p l a i n t and i s n o t 
p r o p e r l y b e f o r e t h e C o u r t . " 
F r a z i e r does n o t a r g u e o r p r o v i d e 
a u t h o r i t y t o s u p p o r t an 
a r g u m e n t t h a t t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t e r r e d when i t 
c o n c l u d e d t h a t he 
had n o t p l e a d e d a c l a i m u n d e r § 9 0 5 ( b ) and t h a t s u c h a c l a i m 
was 
n o t p r o p e r l y 
b e f o r e t h e c o u r t . 
Thus, he h a s w a i v e d any 
38 
1060016 
s u c h a r g u m e n t and we n e e d n o t c o n s i d e r 
i t f u r t h e r . 
See Chunn, 
s u p r a .
1 5 
IV. 
C o n c l u s i o n 
B a s e d on t h e f o r e g o i n g , 
we 
a f f i r m t h e summary j u d g m e n t . 
AFFIRMED. 
Cobb, C . J . , and L y o n s , S t u a r t , and B o l i n , J J . , 
c o n c u r . 
1
5 F r a z i e r 
d i d n o t 
r e f e r 
t o § 
905(b) 
i n h i s 
c o m p l a i n t 
a g a i n s t 
C o r e ; he d i d n o t name t h e v e s s e l 
as a p a r t y 
t o h i s 
a c t i o n ; and he d i d n o t c l a i m t h a t he was 
f i l i n g h i s c l a i m s i n 
t h e a l t e r n a t i v e 
( i . e . , as a seaman a n d / o r as an e m p l o y e e u n d e r 
t h e LHWCA). 
F r a z i e r does n o t a r g u e t h a t t h e 
f i r s t 
c l a i m i n 
h i s 
c o m p l a i n t m i g h t be c o n s t r u e d as a s s e r t i n g a c l a i m u n d e r § 
9 0 5 ( b ) . 
N e v e r t h e l e s s , 
t h e t r i a l c o u r t w e n t on t o s t a t e 
t h a t , 
e v e n i f F r a z i e r ' s c o m p l a i n t c a n be r e a d as a l l e g i n g a 
c l a i m 
u n d e r 
§ 
9 0 5 ( b ) , 
" C o r e 
w o u l d 
s t i l l 
be 
e n t i t l e d 
t o summary 
j u d g m e n t b e c a u s e 
[ F r a z i e r ] r e g u l a r l y p e r f o r m e d s h i p - b u i l d i n g 
and 
s h i p - r e p a i r work 
f o r C o r e and i s t h e r e f o r e 
b a r r e d 
f r o m 
r e c o v e r i n g 
u n d e r § 905(b) p u r s u a n t t o t h e e x p r e s s 
p r o v i s i o n s 
o f t h a t 
s e c t i o n . " 
39