Maritime Injury Lawyer
Maritime Injury: Jones Act
The Merchant Marine Act, better known as the Jones Act, requires ship owners to provide medical care and living costs to injured seamen. This includes cases of injury or property damage caused by the vessels themselves, even if the injuries happened on shore.
To get help with your Jones Act claim, call the Houston maritime personal injury attorneys at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law at (800) 444-5000 or complete a free initial consultation form now.
Maintenance and Cure
Living costs and medical benefits covered by the Jones Act are known as maintenance and cure.
Maintenance can include the cost of:- food
- heating or electric bills
These benefits will be paid while the employee is out of work, but end once the worker is back on the job.
Cure benefits cover:- prescriptions
- wheelchairs
- other medical devices
Find out if you are eligible for maintenance & cure by calling our Houston maritime personal injury lawyers.
Right to Sue with Trial by Jury
A worker can sue his employer, with the right to trial by jury, for compensation if the injury was due to the owner’s negligence or if the vessel was unseaworthy. Laws concerning recovery for personal injury or death to a seaman follow those under the Federal Employers Liability Act, which regulates recovery for railroad workers.
If the person who was injured or killed was partly at fault for the injury, he is still able to sue for compensation by law. However, a jury will take into consideration the amount of negligence attributed to the worker and will reduce the award in proportion to that amount of responsibility.
