Schultz Legal Group, P.C.

Jones Act

The Jones Act was created in order to offer help and protection to injured seamen. This Act allows injured sailors to recover damages from their employers for the negligence of the ship owner, the captain or fellow members of the crew. Its operative provision is found at 46 U.S.C. 688(a), which provides:

“Any sailor who shall suffer personal injury in the course of his employment may, at his election, maintain an action for damages at law, with the right to trial by jury, and in such action all statutes of the United States modifying or extending the common-law right or remedy in cases of personal injury to railway employees shall apply...”

The Jones Act allows United States seamen who have been injured to take legal action against ship owners based on claims of injury due to negligence or seaworthiness. A seaman injured on a ship, offshore oil rig, barge, tug boat, riverboat casino crew boat, tanker, trawler, fishing boat, shrimp boat, ferry, water taxi or other vessel is covered under the Jones Act. The Act typically covers all vessels on the ocean as well as intra-coastal rivers and canals, and any drivers, divers or other underwater personnel who have suffered injury or death.

If you or a loved one has been injured at sea, you will need a personal injury lawyer who can protect your rights and help to make sure you receive compensation as covered under the Jones Act. Only an attorney with experience in this particular area will be effective in asserting your rights and protecting your future. At Schultz Legal Group, we have extensive experience with the Jones Act and its application to Missouri and Illinois law.

Was your injury covered under the Jones Act? CLICK HERE to consult an attorney and find out!