Seaman Status under the Jones Act
Only seamen are protected under the purview of the Jones Act. This section will be general discussion of the ever-evolving tests to determine seamen status under the Jones Act.
Maintenance and Cure Claims
Maintenance and cure is an ancient obligation of a shipowner to provide reasonable living expenses and medical treatment to seamen injured aboard their vessel, regardless of whose fault caused the accident. By being injured in service of a vessel, a seaman is entitled to maintenance and cure. This section will be a general discussion of the intricacies of the law of maintenance and cure.
Punitive damages
Because Jones Act seamen are not covered under a traditional workers’ compensation scheme, they may be entitled to punitive damages and attorney’s fees if a shipowner fails to fulfill their obligation to pay maintenance and cure. This section will be a general discussion of the law governing the imposition of punitive damages in failure to pay maintenance and cure cases.
General Maritime Law and the Doctrine of Unseaworthiness
Under the doctrine of Unseaworthiness, a shipowner has a duty to provide seamen with a seaworthy vessel. Under the Jones Act, a shipowner can be sued for their negligence in failing to provide a seaworthy vessel. This section will discuss the intricacies of the doctrine of unseaworthiness and other general maritime law issues.
Common marine safety hazards
It is no secret that working aboard vessels in navigable waters is very hazardous. Most injuries that occur upon navigable waters are serious and life-threatening. However, many of these accidents and injuries are preventable. This section will discuss common safety hazards confronted by seamen in fulfilling their duties aboard vessels.