You Have More Rights after a Boat Accident Under Maritime Law than Your Employer Wants You to Know (Part A)

If you're injured in a boat accident, maritime law requires that your employer provide you with "maintenance and cure" benefits while you recover from your injury. The Jones Act of 1920, which was adopted into law by the United States Congress, allots certain protections to seamen who worked aboard merchant marine vessels. If your rights to benefits are violated after you've been injured in a boat accident, you can make a claim against your employer with the assistance of a Houston maritime lawyer through a boating accident report.

Where the Jones Act Applies

The Jones Act of 1920 protects seamen who are injured while working aboard vessels offshore or on rivers, but it has some restrictions, and not everyone will qualify as Jones Act seamen. A seaman doesn't necessarily have to be a laborer - it can be anyone who works in the service of a vessel or fleet of vessels in navigable waters.

Whether the boats are moored or not is irrelevant to the application of the Jones Law. The different types of vessels that are covered by the Jones Act can include the following:

Tankers;
Freighters;
Semi-submersibles;
Towboats;
Tugboats;
Restaurant boats;
Supply boats;
Barges;
Fishing boats;
Casino boats;
Jack-up rigs, and more.

If you've been injured in a boat accident, you have rights, including the right to bring your employer to trial for negligence that may have resulted in your injury. International maritime law doesn't provide this right, so it's important that you contact a Houston maritime lawyer who can help you determine if you qualify as a Jones Act seaman, what your options are and how you can file a boating accident report.

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