Death on the High Seas Act

Death on the High Seas Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long title An Act relating to the maintenance of actions for death on the high seas and other navigable waters.
Nicknames Death on the High Seas Act 1920
Enacted by the 66th United States Congress
Effective March 30, 1920
Citations
Public law 66-165
Statutes at Large 41 Stat. 537
Codification
Titles amended 46 U.S.C.: Shipping
U.S.C. sections created 46 U.S.C. ch. 303 § 30301 et seq.
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 2085
  • Passed the Senate on October 20, 1919 (Passed)
  • Passed the House on March 17, 1920 (201-75) with amendment
  • Senate agreed to House amendment on March 22, 1920 (Agreed)
  • Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on March 30, 1920

The Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) (46 U.S.C. app. §§ 761768) is a United States admiralty law enacted by the United States Congress. It was originally intended to permit "recovery of damages against a shipowner by a spouse, child or dependent family member of a seaman killed in international waters"[1] in wrongful death cases "caused by negligence or unseaworthiness."[2] It also applies to cases arising out of airline disasters over the high seas that occur beyond the 12-nautical miles of U.S. territorial waters.[3]

Notes

  1. Schaffer, Agusti & Earle, 199200.
  2. Force, Yiannopoulos & Davies, 516
  3. Schaffer, Agusti & Earle, 200.

References

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