Schultz Legal Group, P.C.

Jones Act

The Jones Act was written to help injured seamen. The Act allows injured sailors to obtain 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...”

This allows U.S. seamen to bring actions against ship owners based on claims of un-seaworthiness or negligence. Seamen injured on ships, offshore oil rigs, barges, tug boats, tankers, riverboat casino crew boats, shrimp boats, trawlers, fishing boats, ferries, water taxis, and all other vessels on the ocean and all intra-coastal rivers and canals, as well as drivers, divers, and underwater personnel are typically covered under the Jones Act.

If you have been injured at sea, you will need a personal injury lawyer who can protect your rights and 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? Contact an attorney at our firm today!