ABSTRACT
Since 1911, the financial liability of employers for the work-related debilities of their employees has been codified in state and federal workers’ compensation laws. There exist within the United States 50 separate state acts which provide financial assistance to workers who are injured in the course of employment as well as compensation laws governing American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Federal statutes govern compensation for the District of Columbia, federal employees, and persons engaged in longshoring and harbor work. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act provides for both public and private employees engaged in activities directly related to maritime functions, such as dock construction, but does not normally include workers involved in facilities construction away from the water. In general, the construction industry is almost always ruled by the compensation law for the state or other political unit, such as a territory, in which the construction work is being done.
