In the case of Swanson v. Marra Brothers, Inc., 1945, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of a ship owner who had sued for damages after his vessel was damaged during World War II while under charter to the United States government. The court held that despite being chartered by the government and used for war purposes at the time it was damaged, ownership of a private vessel does not transfer to the United States unless explicitly stated in contract terms. Therefore, as per maritime law principles which hold owners responsible for damage caused by their vessels regardless of whether they are operating them or not at that time, Marra Brothers were liable for repair costs because they owned tugboats involved in causing said damage. This ruling clarified an important aspect regarding liability issues when privately-owned ships are chartered by governments.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Swanson v. Marra Brothers, Inc., argued that the majority's decision to allow a seaman to recover damages for injuries sustained while on shore leave was inconsistent with previous rulings and maritime law principles. The dissent contended that traditionally, a seaman's right to maintenance and cure did not extend beyond his service period aboard the ship or any illness or injury directly connected to it. They believed this should include periods of shore leave as they are an integral part of a sailor’s service at sea. Therefore, according to them, if an injury occurred during such time off but unrelated directly with their duties at sea (like in this case), it shouldn't be considered within the scope of employment under maritime law. Thus, they disagreed with extending liability coverage for shipping companies regarding incidents happening during sailors' leisure time ashore.