The Jones Act & the U.S. Seaman's Absolute Right to a Seaworthy Vessel | DENENA | POINTS
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The Jones Act & the U.S. Seaman’s Absolute Right to a Seaworthy Vessel

Our Galveston Jones Act lawyers have written before on the history behind the Jones Act. A central focus of the Jones Act is to ensure that a seaman has a seaworthy vessel in which to do his or her work. Under the Jones Act, “seaworthiness” can be read as “safety.” The Act intends to ensure the seaman’s safe working conditions.

Under the Jones Act, “seamen” covered by the Act are those employed in service of a waterborne vessel. Jones Act coverage does not limit itself to merchant marine crewmembers. Our Galveston Jones Act lawyers point out that he Jones Act also covers cruise ship workers (including stewards, cooks, and entertainers), employees of river cruise boats, tug boat and service boat crewmembers, barge workers, commercial fishermen, tanker men, offshore supply crews, and marine construction workers, among others.

Under the Jones Act, ships’ owners have an absolute, non-delegable duty to create and maintain a safe (seaworthy) working environment aboard their vessels. An unsafe condition or work practice that causes a seaman’s injury constitutes an instance of unseaworthiness, even if the rest of the vessel and shipboard working practices are completely sound.

The duty to provide a seaworthy vessel includes ship owners’ duties to properly screen and train employees, provide non-defective equipment aboard the vessel, ensure safe work practices, develop and maintain safety policies and procedures, and provide safe routes to board and debark from the vessel as well as to and from workplaces within the ship,

Examples of some types of unseaworthy conditions that could cause seamen’s injuries include:

  • The presence of asbestos or benzene in the working environment.
  • Poor maintenance of the ship’s structure and/or equipment.
  • The collapse of a deck crane.
  • Inadequate means and/or methods for securing cargo.
  • Defective machinery, equipment, tackle or gear.
  • Snapped mooring lines.
  • Lack of an adequate evacuation plan in case of emergency.

If you’ve been injured during employment related to a vessel, or you’ve lost a loved one to a work accident related to a vessel, you might be eligible to recover full financial compensation for your losses under the Jones Act. Contact our dedicated Galveston Jones Act lawyers for a free and confidential legal consultation to discuss the accident. We could review the circumstances of the traumatic event with you, and help you understand your legal rights and options for obtaining the just compensation your deserve for the harm you’ve suffered. Give us a call today at 877-307-9500 (toll free) or use our online contact form to schedule a free case evaluation by our experienced Galveston Jones Act lawyers.