Jones Act

The Jones Act, written into legislation in 1920, provides protection for workers operating offshore, or in inland waterways. Sailors, merchant mariners, workers on oil rigs, cargo ship workers, fishermen and all other maritime workers are provided protection from injuries occurring in their line of work. Similar to workers compensation for land based employees, the Jones Acts provides compensation for medical expenses, lost income from work and payment for any permanent injuries or disabilities. Often times though, the compensation from a Jones Act case is substantially greater that what a land based worker might get from a workers compensation claim.