US 4th: Union President Not Maritime Under LHWCA

The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals last week ruled that the 2001 amendments to the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act changed the "last maritime employer rule" such that it did not apply to a maritime worker who was injured in his subsequent employment as president of a local union chapter of the International Longshoremen's Association.In Sidwell vs. Virginia International Terminals (06/07/04 - No. 03-1966), a doctor diagnosed Sidwell in 2000 with a noise-induced hearing loss. At the time of the diagnosis, Sidwell was employed as the president of Local 1970, which represente...