The Jones Act is a federal law that allows an injured seaman to collect damages from his employer. Damages under the Jones Act include pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses and other money.

Jones Act Damages

Under the Jones Act you are entitled to collect any damages which are directly related to your accident.  Typically these damages will include pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of wages and fringe benefits.

 The damages allowed for pain and suffering depend greatly upon the nature of your injury.  You will be allowed to collect damages for both past as well as future pain and suffering if you prove these damages at trial.  In regard to past pain and suffering damages, your testimony as well as the testimony of your treating doctors will be very important.  We also routinely call as witnesses an injured employee's spouse or friends to testify as to how the injury has affected the employee's life.  In regard to future pain and suffering damages, it is often best to rely upon your treating physicians who can testify as to whether or not your condition will improve or worsen in the future.  Judges and juries are allowed to estimate the amount and type of pain and suffering that you will most likely experience in the future, and under the Jones Act they are allowed to award money damages for this suffering even though it has not occurred.

 You are also entitled to recover for past and future loss of wages and fringe benefits which are directly related to your injury.  Our office routinely works with experienced economists who will calculate the exact value of your past and future loss of wages and fringe benefits.  In almost all cases, an expert economist is required to predict future loss of wages.  Most courts will not allow an employee to collect loss of future wages and future fringe benefits unless an expert economist has made these calculations for the jury.

 Calculating your loss of past and future wages depends greatly upon the amount of money that you were earning at the time of your injury.  However, the Jones Act does allow you to be awarded money based upon promotions and raises in pay which, in all likelihood, you would have received had you kept working.  This can be very important for long-term employees who have proven a history of receiving pay raises over their years of employment.  Our office is very careful to calculate future wages assuming that certain employees may have received pay raises in the future.  This can make the difference between collecting the amount to which you are truly entitled rather than simply the amount which appears on your current paycheck.

 One of the great benefits of working offshore or on a vessel is the significant fringe benefits that many maritime employees receive.  When you have suffered an injury and you are no longer able to work performing heavy manual labor, most often you will no longer receive these fringe benefits.  Fringe benefits typically include meals being provided to the employee while working, retirement benefits, health insurance and disability insurance.  Our office will obtain all of your pay records including the value of your fringe benefits and use this information to calculate the true value of your past and future economic losses, including loss of fringe benefits.  Sometimes your loss of fringe benefits can amount to almost as much as your loss of actual wages. Jones Act Damages

 
          Under the Jones Act you are entitled to collect any damages which are directly related to your accident.  Typically these damages will include pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of wages and fringe benefits.

            The damages allowed for pain and suffering depend greatly upon the nature of your injury.  You will be allowed to collect damages for both past as well as future pain and suffering if you prove these damages at trial.  In regard to past pain and suffering damages, your testimony as well as the testimony of your treating doctors will be very important.  We also routinely call as witnesses an injured employee's spouse or friends to testify as to how the injury has affected the employee's life.  In regard to future pain and suffering damages, it is often best to rely upon your treating physicians who can testify as to whether or not your condition will improve or worsen in the future.  Judges and juries are allowed to estimate the amount and type of pain and suffering that you will most likely experience in the future, and under the Jones Act they are allowed to award money damages for this suffering even though it has not occurred.

            You are also entitled to recover for past and future loss of wages and fringe benefits which are directly related to your injury.  Our office routinely works with experienced economists who will calculate the exact value of your past and future loss of wages and fringe benefits.  In almost all cases, an expert economist is required to predict future loss of wages.  Most courts will not allow an employee to collect loss of future wages and future fringe benefits unless an expert economist has made these calculations for the jury.

            Calculating your loss of past and future wages depends greatly upon the amount of money that you were earning at the time of your injury.  However, the Jones Act does allow you to be awarded money based upon promotions and raises in pay which, in all likelihood, you would have received had you kept working.  This can be very important for long-term employees who have proven a history of receiving pay raises over their years of employment.  Our office is very careful to calculate future wages assuming that certain employees may have received pay raises in the future.  This can make the difference between collecting the amount to which you are truly entitled rather than simply the amount which appears on your current paycheck.

 

          One of the great benefits of working offshore or on a vessel is the significant fringe benefits that many maritime employees receive.  When you have suffered an injury and you are no longer able to work performing heavy manual labor, most often you will no longer receive these fringe benefits.  Fringe benefits typically include meals being provided to the employee while working, retirement benefits, health insurance and disability insurance.  Our office will obtain all of your pay records including the value of your fringe benefits and use this information to calculate the true value of your past and future economic losses, including loss of fringe benefits.  Sometimes your loss of fringe benefits can amount to almost as much as your loss of actual wages.

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Blog for Jones Act Damages

Library for Jones Act Damages:

  • How Can You Pay for Medical Treatment After an Injury?   
    Description: Under the Jones Act your employer must pay for a doctor that you choose to treat you. They have no interest in doing this though because if your doctor recommends tests and those tests show that you’re injured, you may have a very good case against your employer.
  • Are offshore oil workers protected under Jones Act Law?   
    Description: The Merchant Marine Act, or Jones Act, which requires the owners of Jones Act vessels to pay damages to injured seamen or to the families of seamen who are killed because of unsafe working conditions or due to the unseaworthiness of vessel to which they are assigned. However, determining if an offshore rig qualifies as a Jones Act vessel can be tricky. If you have been injured while working in the offshore oil industry, contact the maritime law attorneys at The Young Firm. We can figure out which laws apply to your injury and we’ll help you get the compensation you need and deserve. Call our New Orleans office at 1-866-938-6113 to schedule a free consultation.
  • How Would I Prove My Oil Spill Damages?   
    Description: Oil Spill damages can be proven in a variety of ways. Learn what steps you should take by reading here. Lawyers in Louisiana answer questions about oil spill claims.
  • Which Parties Are Responsible For the DEEPWATER HORIZON Accident And Which Would I File A Claim Against?   
    Description: Which Parties Are Responsible For the DEEPWATER HORIZON Accident And Which Would I File A Claim Against?
  • How Much Is My Case Worth If I Was Injured On the DEEPWATER HORIZON?   
    Description: If rig workers from the DEEPWATER are not able to return to work offshore, they may suffer significant wage losses.
  • What Damages Can I Collect From My DEEPWATER HORIZON Claim?   
    Description: DEEPWATER HORIZON rig workers may be entitled to punitive damages and full compensation for any other damages under law. Read more about such damages here.
  • What If I Did Not Have A Physical Injury following the DEEPWATER HORIZON Accident, But I Have a Real Fear of Returning Offshore?   
    Description: The Jones Act provides lost wage damages for workers with emotional fear of returning to work offshore after a serious accident such as the DEEPWATER fire and explosion. Read more here.
  • Call For Free Health Information   
    Description: If you worked offshore on oil rigs as a Jones Act seaman or maritime worker and have been diagnosed with lung cancer, it is possible that asbestos exposure significantly contributed to your lung cancer. It is important for your to speak to a qualified Jones Act asbestos lawyer who is familiar with not only asbestos being used offshore on oil rigs but also the Jones Act and Maritime Law which could afford you significant protection and rights.
  • Burn injuries, a serious danger for Gulf of Mexico maritime workers.   
    Description: Burns are the most common off shore injuries. Oil rig workers, seamen and other off shore employees work with electrical equipment, flammable chemicals, gas and oil, and scalding hot liquids and deal with the risk of oil rig explosions, ship fires and electrical accidents. When proper safety equipment is not available or equate safety precautions are not taken, these workers are at an even higher risk for burns. Maritime law is designed to protect maritime workers who have high risk jobs and to provide care and compensation after an injury. If you have any questions about your rights, contact the New Orleans office of The Young Firm at 866-938-6113.
  • Head Injury: A major risk for maritime workers   
    Description: Due to the dangerous nature of their jobs, maritime workers are at high risk for head injuries. If you are a maritime worker who has sustained a brain injury while working at sea, you are entitled fair compensation for your injury and its associated costs. Learn how a maritime lawyer can help you receive full compensation for medical care, rehabilitation, loss of income, and pain and suffering. Call the Louisiana Jones Act lawyers at The Young Firm (866) 938-6113.
  • Three things you should do before settling your Jones Act Case   
    Description: If you are injured while working offshore, there are a few things you should consider before settling your Jones Act case. First, the insurance company works for the company, not for you. Their priority is minimizing the amount that you are paid for your injuries. An experienced maritime law attorney can help. Contact the attorneys at the New Orleans office of The Young Firm for a free consultation. Call us toll free at (866) 938-6113.
  • Hurt offshore? You could qualify for financial compensation under the Jones Act   
    Description: After being injured offshore you are probably wondering what kind of compensation your employer should be giving you. If you are considered a Jones Act seaman, you could be owed one or more of several different types of damages. Your medical bills could be covered, as could your lost wages, reduced income, pain and suffering, and more.
  • Common Medical Tests for Maritime and Offshore Injuries   
    Description: COMMON MEDICAL TESTS FOR MARITIME AND OFFSHORE INJURIES

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