Right now in Hawaii, Alaska, and other U.S. areas not among the contiguous 48 states, there exists ongoing controversy over the Jones Act. Our Gulf Coast Jones Act attorneys point out that the Jones Act was enacted in 1929 to give U.S. maritime industry workers protections from injury, job loss, and other factors for which state workers’ compensation schemes and various federal worker rights laws were being enacted to protect land-based workers.
Various legislators and businessmen want to repeal the part of the Jones Act that provides that ships moving between U.S. domestic ports be U.S. flagged, U.S. crewed, and U.S. built. These interests, including Matthew DiGeronimo, a U.S. Republican hopeful for Hawaii, want foreign ships importing and exporting goods to these U.S. ports. They say that businessmen will enjoy lower shipping costs and that Hawaiian consumers, for instance, will enjoy a lower cost to buy goods.
Our Gulf Coast Jones Act attorneys are not as certain that Hawaiians will also enjoy the lower incomes they have to spend on those goods when shipbuilding and crewing jobs are lost. But we can’t argue with the proposition that U.S. seamen will suffer far fewer work injuries aboard the vessels they serve if they no longer have maritime employment aboard such vessels. Hard to suffer a work-related injury if you’re out of work, after all.
The Gulf Coast Jones Act attorneys at Denena & Points remind you that a primary purpose of the Jones Act was to protect U.S. seamen’s rights. We believe that might include the right to work aboard U.S. vessels for a decent wage, with adequate expectation of recompense in the event that they are injured.
The Jones Act provides that an injured seaman has the right to maintenance and cure from his employer if he received injuries in the course of his employment. The Act also provides that seaman the right to sue under a negligence cause of action if the vessel was unseaworthy (presented the seaman with unsafe working conditions).
The current economic environment has allowed employers to chip away at many worker rights and protections until there is almost nothing left in many cases. U.S. maritime workers injured in the course of service to their vessels deserve adequate financial compensation for their harm. Contact our experienced Gulf Coast Jones Act attorneys if you have questions about your work injury and what you should do to obtain fair compensation and cure. We offer a free and confidential initial case evaluation consultation. Call or email us today.