Herb'S Welding, Inc., et al. v. Gray et al.
Decided March 18, 1985. Byron Raymond White delivered the opinion of the Court.
Docket 83-728 · 470 U.S. 414 (1985) · Cited 243 times
Holding
Because respondent's employment was not "maritime," he does not qualify for benefits under the LHWCA.
The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.
How the Justices voted
Decided 5–4.
Majority · 5
- Byron Raymond White · delivered the opinion of the Court
- John Paul Stevens
- Lewis Franklin Powell Jr.
- Warren Earl Burger
- William Hubbs Rehnquist
Dissenting · 4
- Harry Andrew Blackmun
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Thurgood Marshall · filed a dissenting opinion
- William Joseph Brennan Jr.
“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.
Precedents cited
Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.
- Rodrigue v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. · 395 U.S. 352 (1969)
- Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs v. Perini North River Associates · 459 U.S. 297 (1983)
- Northeast Marine Terminal Co. v. Caputo · 432 U.S. 249 (1977)
- P. C. Pfeiffer Co. v. Ford · 444 U.S. 69 (1979)
- Sun Ship, Inc. v. Pennsylvania · 447 U.S. 715 (1980)
- Nacirema Operating Co. v. Johnson · 396 U.S. 212 (1969)
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law · 404 U.S. 202 (1971)
- Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
- United States v. New York Telephone Co. · 434 U.S. 159 (1977)
- Davis v. Department of Labor and Industries of Wash. · 317 U.S. 249 (1942)
- Grant Smith-Porter Ship Co. v. Rohde · 257 U.S. 469 (1922)
- Calbeck v. Travelers Insurance Co. · 370 U.S. 114 (1962)
- Parker v. Motor Boat Sales, Inc. · 314 U.S. 244 (1942)
Cited by
Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.
- Offshore Logistics, Inc. v. Tallentire · 477 U.S. 207 (1986)
- Bloate v. United States · 559 U.S. 196 (2010)
Official text
Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)
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Byron Raymond White’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court
Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1985). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).