What is the Jones Act?
The Jones Act was established in 1920 as a way for seamen to claim damages while on duty at sea if they were ever injured. The Jones Act made sure that the ship owners kept their vessels safe and clean for the benefit of the seamen working on board.
This piece of legislation limits “seamen” to anyone not a professional scientist, school instructor or student. No matter the extent of the injury, if the ship owner is found negligent and the ship is found “unworthy”, then the seaman is entitled to compensation through pain and suffering, lost wages and other damages. Basically, it is required that after the event of injury to a seaman at sea, it is the duty of the ship owner to provide the proper care and medical aid to the seaman until they arrive back at port. The ship owner is then required by the Jones Act to see to it that the injured person recovers in full. For any lost wages while the injured seaman was not able to perform their duties, they must be compensated.
To qualify for the Jones Act a worker must spend more than thirty percent of their time in the service of a vessel on navigable waters. Also the worker must be a United States citizen or legal resident alien at the time of the incident. Essentially the worker must be in the business of transporting goods such as on a trade vessel.