Etheridge v. Sub Sea International, Inc.

ORDER AND REASONS

FELDMAN, District Judge.

The defendant, Sub Sea, moves for summary judgment on the ground that the plaintiff was not assigned to an identifiable fleet of vessels and cannot be a Jones Act seaman. This motion forces a question: when does the admiralty law elevate form over substance? The answer, in this case, is when courts try to define what is a “fleet” of vessels in the context of the Fifth Circuit’s seaman status test.

Background

Charles Etheridge was employed by Sub Sea as an offshore welder and pipe fitter. Sub Sea and Cross Marine own and operate lift boats for hire by…