LEGAL OPINION: Time bar of seafarers’ claims

Time bar of seafarers’ claims is one year. It starts from the end of the year when the claim arose.
The time bar is interrupted with the filing of the lawsuit or following any other procedural act of the
litigants or the Court. Again, in such a case, the time bar restarts from the end of the year when the procedural
act occurred.

In case the litigants fail to assume procedural action allowing the trial to progress, the time bar
restarts six months from the Court’s last action, and the claim can be time barred even prior to issuance
of a final judgment.

One-membered Court of Appeal Judgment no 297/ 2014, Judge: F. Tserketzoglou, Attorneys at law:
Aik. Stamatelopoulou, St. Lyras, Maritime Law Review vol. 42, p. 389.

NOTE: Additional to the shipowner’s liability, as the time bar discussed above, Greek law provides for
the concurrent liability of the shipowner’s representative, which is usually the management company
established in Greece to manage the vessels by virtue of relevant management agreements.
The individual legally representing the manager is also liable as above. However, such concurrent
liability is confined to labour claims only and enjoys a shorter time bar of six months.