MOPS marine license insurance: As critical for mariners as it is for those who employ them

SPONSORED CONTENT: Imagine your company – and one of your officers – is suddenly involved in a maritime accident that triggers a Coast Guard investigation. In the blink of an eye, your company (and your mariner’s career and USCG license) are in serious jeopardy. Every year, this scenario is a reality for professional mariners and their employers throughout the U.S. Fortunately, MOPS Marine License Insurance can change that.

What is MOPS Marine License Insurance?

MOPS Marine License Insurance provides policyholders with expert legal representation by a local maritime attorney in the event of a covered shipping casualty or incident. This coverage is designed specifically to protect the USCG licenses and livelihoods of professional mariners, including brown water deck and engineering officers working on towboats, tugs, barges, and other vessels involved in inland waterway commerce.

What Types of Events Are Covered by License Insurance?

License insurance typically covers a variety of shipping casualties and incidents including, but not limited to: accidental strandings, sinkings, fires/explosions, collisions, allisions, oil product spills, groundings, heavy weather damage, and wake damage.

Why Consider MOPS License Insurance Coverage?

Most marine license insurance claims involve, at a minimum: an accident scene investigation, including an “informal” Coast Guard interview; the requirement to complete and submit a 2692 Marine Casualty Report by the involved mariner; a subsequent formal Coast Guard interview at the local Marine Safety Office; and, if charges are brought, potential lengthy administrative court proceedings. Without license insurance coverage, an affected mariner could pay extraordinary hourly fees for legal counsel for the duration of the case. This can amount to tens of thousands of dollars or more. However, with a MOPS Marine License Insurance policy, a mariner is provided full-paid defense from the onset of the incident to the conclusion of the case.

Is it in an Employer’s Best Interests to Provide MOPS Marine License Insurance to its Officers?

It is in an employer’s best interests to provide affordable license insurance coverage to its officers because doing so is often a win-win. First, a successful defense of an officer’s license keeps him/her on the company’s active roster, and second, the appreciation and resulting loyalty helps to retain good employees and attract qualified new ones as well.

Find out more and get a free, no-obligation quote today by calling
MOPS Marine License Insurance at 516-431-9191 x3608 or visiting mopsmarinelicenseinsurance.com.