There is perennial confusion about the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act. Some workers may not know that they are entitled to damages, especially if they work outside the United States. After all, the Longshore Harbor Workers Compensation Act may even cover certain expatriate employees. Below is an overview of the important Longshore Act.

The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act was intended by Congress to cover workers on the high seas and those working abroad for the United States. According to the Longshore and harbor workers compensation act, a maritime worker not otherwise covered by the Jones Act is subject to workers compensation if she is injured on the job. This covers both workers on U.S. flagged ships, and those in the Exclusive Economic Zone, such as mineral extraction workers.

The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act has two interesting provisos. For one, expatriate Americans are entitled to expatriate compensation if they are contracted with the U.S. government. For another, the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act covers maritime workers landside that are not otherwise entitled to Jones Act workers compensation. The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act even acts as a supplement to state workers compensation schemes. This web of compensation means that maritime and harbor workers are well protected in the event of an accident or injury.