Jones Act seafarers ought to act quickly to protect their claims arising out of the collision between the tanker vessel m/t STENA IMMACULATE and Portuguese freighter m/v SOLONG, owned by German company Reederei Koepping, in the North sea near Hull in East Yorkshire, England, UK on March 10, 2025.

Because the tanker was chartered by Crowley Shipping, a division of Crowley Maritime that is headquartered in Florida and incorporated in Delaware, the Jones Act seafarers employed by Crowley could sue their employer in Florida, Delaware or any place in the United States where Crowley and the mariner’s contacts were sufficiently strong.

Yet, what about the responsibility of the SOLONG? Will its liability be decided in the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal or the United States? Probably various claims and litigation will arise in more than one country and likely each vessel’s interests now has begun thinking about how to manage the claims or lawsuits, possibly through one or two coordinated legal actions addressing all claims at once.

Were Crowley able to secure jurisdiction over the vessel or its owner or its operator in the United States, a direct legal control could be through the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, codified as 46 U.S.C. § 30523. Such a proceeding would allow the Jones Act seafarers to put their claims against their employer, the owner or owner pro hac vice of the STENA IMMACULATE and against the owners and operators of the SOLONG into a single legal action while also enabling Crowley to address its own damage claims against the SOLONG and its interests.

Nevertheless, it appears that the collision occurred in English waters and the admiralty jurisdiction of the United Kingdom will be the situs of litigation.

Crowley might take a tactical move of preemptively reaching out to the inured seafarers it employed, obtaining quick settlements that would allow Crowley to seek indemnity (reimbursement) from the SOLLANO interests.