An arcane US statute turned enforcement risk Seaman’s Manslaughter:


By Jeanne Grasso and Kierstan Carlson of Blank Rome


Owners and operators of ships calling on the United States know well that criminal prosecutions are now a regular occurrence in the maritime industry. Most relate to environmental violations and post- incident conduct like false statements and obstruction of justice. Recently, however, prosecutors also have used the Seaman’s Manslaughter Statute as an enforcement tool.


The statute allows for federal charges against vessel officers and corporate executives of the vessel owner or charterer if a death results from negligence aboard a vessel. Several high-profile casualties have clearly placed the statute back on the government’s radar and it is now an enforcement risk for passenger and cargo vessels alike.


The Statute


The Seaman’s Manslaughter Statute criminalizes negligence and inattention to duties by a captain, engineer, pilot, or other person employed on a vessel. Violations can result in up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. The statute stems from 19th century laws aimed at preventing deaths from fires on steamboats, which were designed to punish ship’s officers for negligent conduct. A similar focus exists today. Under the statute, vessel officers and shoreside employees may be liable for manslaughter if their negligent conduct causes a fatality. This is a “simple negligence” standard, meaning that the government need not prove the conduct was wilful, knowing, or reckless.


About the authors


Jeanne Grasso serves as the co-chair of Blank Rome's Maritime and International Trade Practice Group and a member of the firm's Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”). She focuses her practice on maritime, international, and environmental law for clients worldwide. Jeanne counsels owners and operators of vessels, charterers, cargo owners, and facilities, including manufacturing facilities, both marine-side and inland.


90 | The Report • June 2021 • Issue 96


Kierstan Carlson is a partner in Blank Rome’s Maritime and International Trade Practice Group and works closely with the firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations practice. Kierstan defends clients in maritime criminal cases, as well as in enforcement actions involving the False Claims Act, the FCPA, customs fraud, and other regulatory violations. She also works closely with shipping clients to implement and audit compliance programs.


However, a heightened, “gross negligence” standard applies for cases against executives of corporate vessel owners or charterers. There, the government must prove that the individual corporate executive: (1) had “control and management of the operation, equipment, or navigation” of the vessel; and (2) “knowingly or wilfully caused or allowed” the negligent conduct that resulted in a death.


Prosecutions through the 2000s


Few Seaman’s Manslaughter cases were brought before the 2000s. The most notable was the General Slocum disaster in 1904, where over 1,000 people died in a vessel fire in New York. The captain, corporate executives, and the vessel inspector


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