In the case of American Foreign Steamship Co. v. Matise, 1975, the U.S Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a seaman's widow could recover damages for her husband's wrongful death under general maritime law or if she was limited to recovery under the Jones Act. The plaintiff’s husband died from mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure during his employment with American Foreign Steamship Company and other companies as well. The court held that while a seaman's personal injury claim is governed exclusively by federal statutes (the Jones Act), it does not preclude recovery for wrongful death under general maritime law when no remedy is available through these statutes. Therefore, Mrs. Matise was allowed to pursue her claim against all defendants in accordance with this ruling.

The dissenting opinion in the case of American Foreign Steamship Co. v. Matise argued that the majority's decision to apply a three-year statute of limitations from the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act was incorrect. The dissent believed that this interpretation would lead to an unjust result, as it could potentially bar claims for injuries or illnesses which had not yet manifested within the three-year period following exposure to harmful conditions at work. They contended that such a strict application of time limits did not align with Congress’s intent when drafting workers’ compensation laws, which were designed primarily to protect employees rather than employers or insurance companies. Instead, they suggested using state statutes of limitation for personal injury cases as these typically allow lawsuits within a certain timeframe after discovering an injury or illness caused by negligence or wrongdoing.