Man Overboard: Are Current Standards Sufficient to "Rescue" the Injured Seafarer?

This paper looks at the current schemes available to compensate the injured seafarer. It gives an outline of worker´s compensation and civil litigation and examines the relief offered by these two systems. While no system can turn back the clock, it is suggested that worker´s compensation provides relief of a seafarer´s immediate requirements for medical attention and support but avoids questions of compensation for intangible concerns. Litigation addresses these issues more adequately but the litigation process is too costly and cumbersome to provide immediate meaningful relief. A good look at the basic purpose of compensation is necessary to determine how the system should operate.