Admiralty Attorney

Admiralty Law – An Overview of the Jones Act

In 1920, Congress passed a statute called the Merchant Marine Act, more commonly known as the Jones Act, after Senator Wesley L. Jones, the bill’s sponsor. The Jones Act was an important turning point in maritime law, because it gave sailors and sea workers a standardized way to seek compensation for injuries they sustained on the job. The new law also held employers responsible for providing their employees with a safe working environment.

Under the Jones Act, a seaman is entitled to compensation from his employer for any injuries he receives as a result of an unseaworthy vessel or other negligence on the part of the employer. It is important to note that proving negligence is a requirement in any Jones Act case – no easy task, as it turns out.

The Jones Act also gave official recognition to the centuries-old tradition of maintenance and cure, which states that the employer of an injured seaman is obligated to:

• Provide for his medical care until he has reached maximum medical cure (a higher standard than maximum improvement), and
• Provide the seaman with a stipend which allows him to live onshore with a standard of living similar to that he enjoyed on the ship.

The Jones Act, while important, is only a part of federal admiralty law. To learn more about admiralty law and how it may affect you, set up a free initial consultation with an experienced admiralty lawyer from Williams Kherkher by calling 800-220-9341 today.