Thursday, October 21, 2010

Longshore in Russia

A case a few years ago has recently come to my attention   Dennis Greenan vs Crowley Marine Service Inc  55134-5-I

Greenan worked to help offload a barge just off Sakhalin Island.   In case your geography, like mine, is pretty weak in the north Pacific, I researched online and it is “a large elongated island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N. It is part of Russia and is its largest island”.

The Longshore act has long said that it applies in the “territorial waters of the United States” and whilst understandably it has been stretched to the high seas when sailing directly between two US ports, this is now the third, and most far reaching, opinion taking the Longshore act into foreign lands.  The first was Jamaica, the second the English Channel and now this third Russian Case.

There is little in the case to dispute that Mr. Greenan job was one that would have given him Longshore STATUS, but the SITUS (location) is a stretch in Russian Waters, in fact just off the beach.

Here is the big problem, in Webber v. SC Loveland, the case in Jamaica, whist the court extended benefits to Mr. Webber, they held that the insurance company did not have to pay as their policy specified the states where coverage was provided and clearly Jamaica was not one of them.

Worse, few carriers will provide Longshore outside the US, so now we are faced with an expansion of the territory, without any way to insure it in most case!

Watch this blog for more information, as it becomes available.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Looking for Work?

The Insurance and Financial Management Branch Chief of the Longshore program in the Federal Department of Labor  is retiring at the end of 2010 and they are looking for a person with significant experience on the underwriting/broker (as opposed to only the claims) side of the industry to work in their D.C .office. 

The position is at the highest level of the federal general salary scale which ranges up to $155,000 and offers outstanding fringe benefits.  Although they seek a long-term employee, the position is open to those who may be ready to retire from the private insurance industry but seek a short term opportunity to continue to work, earning another small pension and life-long benefits. 

The person in the job oversees the regulation of the insurance industry, accepting, reviewing and acting on applications to participate in the system from insurance companies and self-insured employers.  The incumbent also manages the Longshore Special Fund, paying benefits directly to 5,000 beneficiaries and assessing participating companies for support of the Fund, managing an ongoing industry auditing contract, and participating in numerous policy decisions in the Longshore Division. 

The vacancy announcement is now posted through October 22, 2010 on the federal government’s job site, WWW.USAJOBS.GOV.  The posting number is DE-10-ESA-OW-126 and instructions for applicants are detailed at this site.  ACT FAST!