Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73
§30103 Liability of master, mate, engineer, and pilot
Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle III— - Maritime Liability › Chapter CHAPTER 301— - GENERAL LIABILITY PROVISIONS › § 30103
Summary
You can sue the master, mate, engineer, or pilot of a vessel and recover money if their actions caused your injury or loss. You may sue them when they were careless or did something on purpose that caused harm, or when they ignored or refused to follow the laws that control how vessels are navigated.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §30103
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
A person may bring a civil action against a master, mate, engineer, or pilot of a vessel, and recover damages, for personal injury or loss caused by the master’s, mate’s, engineer’s, or pilot’s—
(1)negligence or willful misconduct; or
(2)neglect or refusal to obey the laws governing the navigation of vessels.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3010346 App.:491 (words after semicolon).R.S. § 4493 (words after semicolon). Before paragraph (1), the words “bring a civil action” are substituted for “sue” for consistency with rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (28 App. U.S.C.). In paragraph (1), the word “carelessness” is omitted as included in “negligence”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 30103
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73