Legal Definitions - shipowner-negligence doctrine

The shipowner-negligence doctrine is a legal principle that holds a shipowner responsible for any harm caused to a crew member by a superior, if the harm occurred during an activity that was undertaken for the benefit of the ship's business, and if the ship's officers could have reasonably foreseen the harm.

For example, if a crew member is assaulted by their superior while performing duties on the ship, and the ship's officers were aware of previous incidents of violence or aggression by the superior, the shipowner may be held liable for the harm caused to the crew member.

Another example could be if a crew member is injured while performing a task that they were not properly trained for, and the ship's officers were aware of the lack of training but did not take steps to address it. In this case, the shipowner may be held liable for the crew member's injuries.

The shipowner-negligence doctrine is intended to ensure that shipowners take reasonable steps to protect their crew members from harm, and to hold them accountable when they fail to do so.