Maritime Injury Lawyer
The Jones Act is not the same as workers compensation. In order to have a valid Jones Act claim, the injured worker must show some negligence or fault on the part of the vessel's owners, operators, officers, and/or fellow employees or by reason of any defect in the vessel, its gear, tackle, or equipment.
The Jones Act provides an injured seaman a claim for compensation under maritime law against his or her employers for injuries arising from negligent acts of the employer or co-workers during the course of employment on a vessel. Injured workers may also bring a claim against the vessel owner if the vessel was unseaworthy.
An injured worker who qualifies for compensation under the Jones Act can seek to recover the following damages:
-(Past Lost Income) Wages lost from the time of the injury to the time of trial
-(Future Lost Income) Wages loss in the future
-Medical expenses in the past and in the future; and pain, suffering, disfigurement , and mental anguish, in the past and in the future
Generally, officers and crew members who work on tankers, freighters, jack-up rigs, semi-submersibles, towboats, tugs, supply boats, crew boats, barges, lay barges, and fishing vessels are considered Jones Act seamen, as are crew members on movable or jack-up drilling rigs. Seaman status depends on the individual facts of each case.
Longshoremen, pilots, and those who work on fixed platforms are not seamen, but have other maritime remedies available for injuries, call us today to see if you have a claim under the Longshoreman & Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA).
