Jones Act - River Workers & Seamen
As anyone who is familiar with the maritime industry is
aware, working on a vessel can be dangerous. Unfortunately thousands of maritime
workers are injured each year while performing their jobs, and many seamen lose
their lives. These maritime workers and their families are left without a way to
earn a living and pay their bills. Under U.S. maritime law, workers and their
families have rights to financial compensation if an injury or death occurred
while working.
Maritime injury claims fall under a very complex area of
U.S. law. River workers' rights generally fall under a law called the "Jones
Act." Actual court cases which are appealed make up a large part of Jones Act
and maritime law. However, Jones Act law is very different from workers
compensation law. Under the Jones Act an injured worker must prove that his or
her employer was negligent or at fault for the injury or death which occurred,
in order to recover any damages.
The Jones Act generally protects seamen injured on all sorts
of vessels, such as large ships, oil drilling rigs, barges, tug boats, cargo
ships, tankers, and even some riverboat casinos. An experienced attorney can
help the worker or his family ascertain the rights and remedies that may be
available under maritime law.
Gray, Ritter & Graham has over fifty (50) years of
experience with the federal statutes authorizing the recovery of damages for
seamen and river workers injured or killed in the course of their employment.
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