seaman
Definitions from Case Law · United States Supreme Court
Definitions from Case Law
From 328 U.S. 85 - Seas Shipping Co. v. Sieracki · 1946Most cited · 4,072 citing opinions
functional, for stevedores
for injuries incurred while working on board the ship in navigable waters the stevedore is entitled to the seaman's traditional and statutory protections, regardless of the fact that he is employed immediately by another than the owner. For these purposes he is, in short, a seaman because he is doing a seaman's work and incurring a seaman's hazards.
How the Supreme Court has restated “seaman”
Each Supreme Court definition of “seaman,” sized by how often later courts cited it. “Change” is measured by wording overlap with earlier definitions — a rough signal, not a semantic judgment.
How often courts cite the cases defining “seaman”
Court decisions citing the 5 opinions that defined “seaman” — 5,039 in all, by decade. Counts are citations to the defining cases as a whole, not verified uses of the term. The dip in the most recent years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the latest years.
All 5 definitions, chronological · 1928–1946
- ORIGINAL
Seaman' is to be taken to include stevedores employed in maritime work on navigable waters as the plaintiff was.
Jones Act · construing 46 U.S.C. § 30104
While section 33 is construed to give the rights of seamen to stevedores it does not say or mean that stevedores are to be regarded as seamen on the particular vessel upon which for the moment they happen to be at work. They simply are given the rights of seamen and as they are American workmen they have the rights of American seamen as well on German as on American ships.
rights under the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104) · construing 46 U.S.C. § 30104 · Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act)
In a broad sense, a seaman is a mariner of any degree, one who lives his life upon the sea. It is enough that what he does affects 'the operation and welfare of the ship when she is upon a voyage.
every person (apprentices excepted) who shall be employed or engaged to serve in any capacity on board the same shall be deemed and taken to be a 'seaman' within the meaning and for the purposes of this act