The Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a federal law that allows injured seamen to be compensated following an offshore, on-the-job injury. It provides an injured worker with the opportunity to recover damages stemming from the negligence of a vessel’s owner, crew or captain. In order to be eligible to recover damages under the Jones Act, you must be employed by a vessel in navigation and you must also contribute to the overall purpose of the ship. In addition, you must file your claim no later than three years from the date of the injury in order to qualify.
The Jones Act provides injured seamen with several protections including:
- Transportation home following an injury;
- Wages through the end of the voyage;
- Maintenance payments to cover living expenses; and
- Cure payments to cover any necessary medical treatment until the injured seaman reaches maximum medical improvement.
Furthermore, if the vessel is found to be inherently unsafe or undermanned, an injured seaman can pursue a claim for unseaworthiness. Even a failure to render sufficient medical aid following an injury can lead to your employer being liable for your injury.
The Jones Act imposes a higher-than-normal duty of care on the employers of offshore workers. Any breach of that high standard of care that results in a seaman being injured will often be enough to trigger the employer’s liability.
In the past 2 years alone, the Jones Act and maritime lawyers at Fitts Zehl LLP have recovered over $150 million in damages for workers injured along the Gulf Coast, including workers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia and Alabama, have been interviewed on CNN and Good Morning America, and provided legal commentary to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Houston Chronicle, Forbes, Bloomberg, and The Dallas Morning News. Our trial lawyers refuse to settle a case until we're confident that our client is being fully compensated for his losses and damages, and we are always prepared to take a case to court. Contact the experienced Jones Act lawyers at Fitts Zehl today for a free, no-obligation consultation at 1-800-993-4887.
