Thousands of intrepid Americans function aboard ships or offshore platforms in America’s waters. And regrettably, many become wounded each year in offshore or maritime accidents. For them, the restoration of their life back to normality can be a struggle. But at least they have one enduring and substantial protection. At least they have the Jones Act.
Named after its author, Sen. Wesley Jones of Washington state, and also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, this ruling protects injured seamen, sailors, maritime workers or offshore oil rig workers in the occurrence of injury. It holds a owner, captain or crew of a vessel or platform accountable for workers’ injuries, specifically where unseaworthiness of the vessel or platform, or negligence of the owner, captain or crew, caused the accident.
Thanks to this clever and far-ranging maritime decree, injured maritime employees -- or survivors of those who are killed -- have recourse. They can assert a Jones Act privilege through a Jones Act lawsuit to get back their financial losses. And to do this, they only have to contact a Texas Jones Act lawyer with veteran law firm Jim S. Adler & Associates, in which thousands of injured Texans have put their trust for more than 3 decades.
A Jones Act injury may happen because of defective gear on a ship, barge, tugboat, dredge or other vessel, as well as an offshore platform or oil rig. Such an injury may happen when a ship’s safety precautions are inadequate. It also may arise if a working environment in general is unsafe. In all of these situations, Jones Act protections ought to be applied.
Ships or platforms on which Jones Act injuries can happen include tug boats, barges, ferries, water taxis, shrimp boats, supply boats, riverboats, tankers, semi-submersible vessels, trawlers, oil rigs, jack-up rigs and drill ships. Workers hurt or who die during transportation from or to an offshore oil rig or vessel, or even injured while a vessel is docked, are also safeguarded via the Jones Act.
These safeguards and protections are a wounded maritime employee’s legal privilege. But to be legally claimed, a seasoned Jones Act lawyer is essential. She or he or must be knowledgeable about the difficult language of the expansive law, which is also known as Jones Act 46 U.S.C. The law was painstakingly reworked and re-codified in 2006, so up-to-date knowledge is indispensable.
A well-educated Texas Jones Act attorney acting on behalf of a wounded maritime worker also can help protect her or him against opposing interests. As an example, an owner may suggest a speedy financial settlement that’s far below what the injured employee is owed. A Jones Act attorney could help protect that individual from the pitfall of taking a prompt but small settlement and thus forfeiting the claim to do anything else.
This repeatedly has been the case with Jones Act injuries, when wealthy owners or employers don't want to pay adequate financial compensation to wounded workers or to the survivors of workers who died while at work. But with help from a Houston Jones Act lawyer and the Jones Act itself, justice can be served.