‘‘30508.
Provisions requiring notice of claim or limiting time for bringing action. 
‘‘30509.
Provisions limiting liability for personal injury or death. 
‘‘30510.
Vicarious liability for medical malpractice with regard to crew. 
‘‘30511.
Action by owner for limitation. 
‘‘30512.
Liability as master, officer, or seaman not affected. 
‘‘§ 30501. Definition 
‘‘In this chapter, the term ‘owner’ includes a charterer that mans, sup-
plies, and navigates a vessel at the charterer’s own expense or by the 
charterer’s own procurement. 
‘‘§ 30502. Application 
‘‘Except as otherwise provided, this chapter (except section 30503) ap-
plies to seagoing vessels and vessels used on lakes or rivers or in inland 
navigation, including canal boats, barges, and lighters. 
‘‘§ 30503. Declaration of nature and value of goods 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—If a shipper of an item named in subsection (b), con-
tained in a parcel, package, or trunk, loads the item as freight or baggage 
on a vessel, without at the time of loading giving to the person receiving 
the item a written notice of the true character and value of the item and 
having that information entered on the bill of lading, the owner and master 
of the vessel are not liable as carriers. The owner and master are not liable 
beyond the value entered on the bill of lading. 
‘‘(b) ITEMS.—The items referred to in subsection (a) are precious metals, 
gold or silver plated articles, precious stones, jewelry, trinkets, watches, 
clocks, glass, china, coins, bills, securities, printings, engravings, pictures, 
stamps, maps, papers, silks, furs, lace, and similar items of high value and 
small size. 
‘‘§ 30504. Loss by fire 
‘‘The owner of a vessel is not liable for loss or damage to merchandise 
on the vessel caused by a fire on the vessel unless the fire resulted from 
the design or neglect of the owner. 
‘‘§ 30505. General limit of liability 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in section 30506 of this title, the 
liability of the owner of a vessel for any claim, debt, or liability described 
in subsection (b) shall not exceed the value of the vessel and pending 
freight. If the vessel has more than one owner, the proportionate share of 
the liability of any one owner shall not exceed that owner’s proportionate 
interest in the vessel and pending freight. 
‘‘(b) CLAIMS SUBJECT TO LIMITATION.—Unless otherwise excluded by 
law, claims, debts, and liabilities subject to limitation under subsection (a) 
are those arising from any embezzlement, loss, or destruction of any prop-
erty, goods, or merchandise shipped or put on board the vessel, any loss, 
damage, or injury by collision, or any act, matter, or thing, loss, damage, 
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or forfeiture, done, occasioned, or incurred, without the privity or knowledge 
of the owner. 
‘‘(c) WAGES.—Subsection (a) does not apply to a claim for wages. 
‘‘§ 30506. Limit of liability for personal injury or death 
‘‘(a) APPLICATION.—This section applies only to seagoing vessels, but 
does not apply to pleasure yachts, tugs, towboats, towing vessels, tank ves-
sels, fishing vessels, fish tender vessels, canal boats, scows, car floats, 
barges, lighters, or nondescript vessels. 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM LIABILITY.—If the amount of the vessel owner’s liability 
determined under section 30505 of this title is insufficient to pay all losses 
in full, and the portion available to pay claims for personal injury or death 
is less than $420 times the tonnage of the vessel, that portion shall be in-
creased to $420 times the tonnage of the vessel. That portion may be used 
only to pay claims for personal injury or death. 
‘‘(c) CALCULATION OF TONNAGE.—Under subsection (b), the tonnage of 
a self-propelled vessel is the gross tonnage without deduction for engine 
room, and the tonnage of a sailing vessel is the tonnage for documentation. 
However, space for the use of seamen is excluded. 
‘‘(d) CLAIMS ARISING ON DISTINCT OCCASIONS.—Separate limits of li-
ability apply to claims for personal injury or death arising on distinct occa-
sions. 
‘‘(e) PRIVITY OR KNOWLEDGE.—In a claim for personal injury or death, 
the privity or knowledge of the master or the owner’s superintendent or 
managing agent, at or before the beginning of each voyage, is imputed to 
the owner. 
‘‘§ 30507. Apportionment of losses 
‘‘If the amounts determined under sections 30505 and 30506 of this title 
are insufficient to pay all claims— 
‘‘(1) all claimants shall be paid in proportion to their respective 
losses out of the amount determined under section 30505 of this title; 
and 
‘‘(2) personal injury and death claimants, if any, shall be paid an 
additional amount in proportion to their respective losses out of the ad-
ditional amount determined under section 30506(b) of this title. 
‘‘§ 30508. Provisions requiring notice of claim or limiting 
time for bringing action 
‘‘(a) APPLICATION.—This section applies only to seagoing vessels, but 
does not apply to pleasure yachts, tugs, towboats, towing vessels, tank ves-
sels, fishing vessels, fish tender vessels, canal boats, scows, car floats, 
barges, lighters, or nondescript vessels. 
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‘‘(b) MINIMUM TIME LIMITS.—The owner, master, manager, or agent of 
a vessel transporting passengers or property between ports in the United 
States, or between a port in the United States and a port in a foreign coun-
try, may not limit by regulation, contract, or otherwise the period for— 
‘‘(1) giving notice of, or filing a claim for, personal injury or death 
to less than 6 months after the date of the injury or death; or 
‘‘(2) bringing a civil action for personal injury or death to less than 
one year after the date of the injury or death. 
‘‘(c) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO GIVE NOTICE.—When notice of a claim for 
personal injury or death is required by a contract, the failure to give the 
notice is not a bar to recovery if— 
‘‘(1) the court finds that the owner, master, or agent of the vessel 
had knowledge of the injury or death and the owner has not been prej-
udiced by the failure; 
‘‘(2) the court finds there was a satisfactory reason why the notice 
could not have been given; or 
‘‘(3) the owner of the vessel fails to object to the failure to give the 
notice. 
‘‘(d) TOLLING OF PERIOD TO GIVE NOTICE.—If a claimant is a minor 
or mental incompetent, or if a claim is for wrongful death, any period pro-
vided by a contract for giving notice of the claim is tolled until the earlier 
of— 
‘‘(1) the date a legal representative is appointed for the minor, in-
competent, or decedent’s estate; or 
‘‘(2) 3 years after the injury or death. 
‘‘§ 30509. Provisions limiting liability for personal injury or 
death 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The owner, master, manager, or agent of a ves-
sel transporting passengers between ports in the United States, or be-
tween a port in the United States and a port in a foreign country, may 
not include in a regulation or contract a provision limiting— 
‘‘(A) the liability of the owner, master, or agent for personal in-
jury or death caused by the negligence or fault of the owner or 
the owner’s employees or agents; or 
‘‘(B) the right of a claimant for personal injury or death to a 
trial by court of competent jurisdiction. 
‘‘(2) VOIDNESS.—A provision described in paragraph (1) is void. 
‘‘(b) EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, MENTAL SUFFERING, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL 
INJURY.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) does not prohibit a provision in 
a contract or in ticket conditions of carriage with a passenger that re-
lieves an owner, master, manager, agent, operator, or crewmember of 
a vessel from liability for infliction of emotional distress, mental suf-
fering, or psychological injury so long as the provision does not limit 
such liability when the emotional distress, mental suffering, or psycho-
logical injury is— 
‘‘(A) the result of physical injury to the claimant caused by the 
negligence or fault of a crewmember or the owner, master, man-
ager, agent, or operator; 
‘‘(B) the result of the claimant having been at actual risk of 
physical injury, and the risk was caused by the negligence or fault 
of a crewmember or the owner, master, manager, agent, or oper-
ator; or 
‘‘(C) intentionally inflicted by a crewmember or the owner, mas-
ter, manager, agent, or operator. 
‘‘(2) SEXUAL OFFENSES.—This subsection does not limit the liability 
of a crewmember or the owner, master, manager, agent, or operator 
of a vessel in a case involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, or 
rape. 
‘‘§ 30510. Vicarious liability for medical malpractice with re-
gard to crew 
‘‘In a civil action by any person in which the owner or operator of a vessel 
or employer of a crewmember is claimed to have vicarious liability for med-
ical malpractice with regard to a crewmember occurring at a shoreside facil-
ity, and to the extent the damages resulted from the conduct of any shore-
side doctor, hospital, medical facility, or other health care provider, the 
owner, operator, or employer is entitled to rely on any statutory limitations 
of liability applicable to the doctor, hospital, medical facility, or other health 
care provider in the State of the United States in which the shoreside med-
ical care was provided. 
‘‘§ 30511. Action by owner for limitation 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The owner of a vessel may bring a civil action in a 
district court of the United States for limitation of liability under this chap-
ter. The action must be brought within 6 months after a claimant gives the 
owner written notice of a claim. 
‘‘(b) CREATION OF FUND.—When the action is brought, the owner (at 
the owner’s option) shall— 
‘‘(1) deposit with the court, for the benefit of claimants— 
‘‘(A) an amount equal to the value of the owner’s interest in 
the vessel and pending freight, or approved security; and 
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