Claims of Seaman and Fisherman
Claims of Seaman and Fisherman
The federal Merchant Marine Act, otherwise known as the “Jones Act,” represents the primary basis for claims of seamen, fishermen, and similar workers for workplace injuries. This body of law is found at Title 46 of the United States Code, starting at section 30104. The Jones Act allows injured seaman, called “sailors” under the Act, to make claims and collect from their employers for the negligence of a ship owner, captain, or fellow members of the crew. It does this by, in substantial measure, extending the worker’s compensation coverage and law applicable to railroad workers (the Federal Employers Liability Act), to seaman.