FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / MARITIME & JONES ACT CLAIMS

Legal Questions & Answers About Maritime & Jones Act Claims

Who does the Jones Act apply to?

Fishermen, tug boat and barge workers, ferry boat crew men, pile drivers, commercial divers, deck workers, crab and deck hands, fish processor workers, and others. Essentially, any job on a commercial vessel while the vessel is on the water. This includes fishing boat accidents in Alaska and the Bering Sea.

Maritime Law also applies to labor disputes, sexual and racial harassment, disability discrimination, toxic exposures, hearing losses and workplace fatigue injuries.

If a loved one has died while working at sea or engaged in seagoing operations the surviving spouses and children, or other family members may be able to file a claim.

When a seaman is injured through negligence of the employer or un-seaworthiness of a vessel, they are entitled to be compensated monetarily for their damages and have their medical expenses covered.

What are you entitled to when injured?

Monetary compensation for damages and injuries which include; damages for pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, lost wages and future wages, medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and vocational and educational retraining costs.

Seamen are also entitled to maintenance and cure benefits under the Maritime Law. Maintenance and Cure pays you a certain portion of your wages while you are unable to work. Seamen are entitled to these benefits under the Jones Act or Federal Maritime Law.