🔍 Key Concepts

• Obligation to render assistance after collision under U.S. law • Differences between criminal penalties (imprisonment) and fines (dollar amounts) • How exam questions often test exact statutory maximums for both jail time and fines

💭 Think About

• Which option matches a realistic balance between jail time and fine for failing to render aid in a collision? Is the fine likely to be very low, medium, or relatively high compared to the imprisonment term? • Look carefully at how the imprisonment term changes between choices versus how the fine changes. Do any of the patterns look like a typical “paired” penalty amount you’ve seen in other maritime statutes? • If the law speaks about a maximum penalty, would it be more likely toward the lower or higher end of these options?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm that both imprisonment AND fine are part of the maximum penalty, not just one or the other • Pay close attention to the exact dollar amounts – don’t mix up $1000,$1500, and $2000 under time pressure • Remember this is the maximum penalty – eliminate any option that looks unusually light compared to the seriousness of failing to assist after a collision