Countless Americans work every day in hard, demanding and frequently dangerous circumstances on our waters, whether on a vessel or maybe even an offshore oil platform. But safety measures are meant to be in place -- and infrequently they aren't. When this is the case, and maritime workers are injured on the job, they must find how to restore financial steadiness to their homes. Regularly that suggests looking for protections under the Jones Act.
This 1920 law that's nearing its 100th anniversary is technically Jones Act 46 U.S.C, and it also may be called the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. But it's more informally known simply as the Jones Act, since it was authored by Washington state Sen. Wesley Jones. The law covers many aspects of maritime commerce but includes protections for maritime workers, sailors, seamen and others who labour on our nation's waters. If those workers are injured, they can seek economic atonement thru the Jones Act.
Due to the Jones Act, injured sailors or the survivors of sailors who die on the job have a statutory right to seek money recovery by way of a Jones Act claim. This claim can be pressed by a Jones Act court action filed by an experienced injury lawyer or Jones Act attorney. And such a lawyer or attorney can be found at the veteran legal firm of Jim S. Adler & Associates, which has served many thousands of Texas injury victims for over 3 decades.
The source of a Jones Act injury could be an absence of proper safety precautions on a vessel or an offshore platform. It could be flawed or badly maintained hardware on a vessel or platform. It may be a generally hazardous environment on board. In any case, if there's unseaworthiness of a ship or platform, or negligence of a crew, owner or captain, then the Jones Act can provide wounded workers the security they want and deserve.
What are some kinds of vessels on which Jones Act injuries can occur? Within them are tankers, shrimp boats, ferries, water taxis, trawlers, tug boats, barges, supply boats, riverboats, drill ships, semi-submersible vessels, jack-up rigs and oil rigs. Even if a worker wasn't killed or hurt aboard such a ship, but on the way it, then Jones Act coverage can also apply.
Such coverage is a hurt seaman's legal right, yet on it's own it isn't enough. A well-educated Gulf Coast Jones Act lawyer must be engaged as part of the method. This injury attorney or lawyer should be terribly well versed in the Jones Act's inner workings and must be cautious to changes in the act, for example a comprehensive overhaul and re-codifying of it as recently as 2006.
A Galveston Jones Act lawyer also should act as a buffer or a protection between the wounded maritime worker and others who don't want him to become full and proper financial compensation. That frequently includes bosses who dangle a fast settlement before an injured worker, but without offering quite as much cash as the wounded person is due under the Jones Act.
A Houston Jones Act lawyer can help a customer avoid this pitfall and instead pursue full and fair financial recovery. Such a settlement is maritime workers' legal right under this law from past times which still holds forcefully in their favor currently. When maritime injuries happen, the Jones Act -- as it's been for over 90 years -- is there to offer help.