Pearlie Simmons v. Sea-Land Services, Inc.

Justice White, with whom Justice O’Connor joins,

dissenting.

Under § 33(b) of the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, 44 Stat. 1440, as amended, 33 U. S. C. § 933(b), the 6-month period within which an injured longshoreman must commence a third-party negligence action against a shipowner begins upon his “Acceptance of . . . compensation under an award in a compensation order.” In this case, the Fourth Circuit held that, in effect, this period begins whenever an injured longshoreman accepts a compensation payment from his employer, even if he does not know at that time what his…