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The Jones Act

Burden of Proof under the Jones Act- How Hard is it to win my case?

Under the Jones Act an employee has a "featherweight" burden of proof in regard to causation of his injuries. This is a very important and favorable rule under the Jones Act. When you present your maritime case to a judge or jury, you must be able to prove that your injury was caused by your accident. The Jones Act greatly helps you by requiring only a "featherweight" burden of proof to show that your injury was caused by the accident.

This rule is especially helpful if you have previously injured the same part of your body as you injured in your current accident. By using the featherweight burden of proof, you may be able to successfully show that your current injury was caused by the most recent accident, even if you had previously injured the same part of your body many years ago.