Jones Act Seaman Claims
Charleston Lawyer: Seaman Wage Claims
Wage Claims | Personal Injury | Wrongful Death
Seamen are guaranteed certain rights under admiralty law. For example, seamen are entitled to prompt payment of wages, and those who are injured while subject to the call of duty have several options for seeking compensation.
- Were you injured due to the carelessness or negligence of others?
- Did you miss work due to an illness during a voyage?
- Were you injured while working on a vessel that was ill-equipped or poorly maintained?
Please contact our Charleston, South Carolina, law firm, John Hughes Cooper, P.C., for a free and confidential consultation. We are ready to help you.
Prompt. Professional. Effective.
Free Consultation · Call 1-843-883-9099, 1-800-883-9099 (Toll Free) or E-mail
There are many differences between admiralty and landside law, especially when it comes to worker protection. Unlike landside workers, seaman are not entitled to workers' compensation if they become ill, are injured or become disabled in the line of duty. However, seamen and other offshore workers are entitled to protection under admiralty law. Those injured on the job have at least five possible claims:
- Maintenance. If a seaman falls ill in a work setting, he or she is entitled to a subsistence allowance for room and board until reaching maximum medical recovery.
- Cure. Seamen also have a right to medical treatment until reaching maximum medical improvement.
- Unearned wages. The right to unearned wages extends to the end of the voyage or employment period.
- Jones Act. The Jones Act is a negligence remedy. An injured seaman can recover compensation if it can be proved that the vessel owner or operator was negligent or at fault.
- Unseaworthiness. A vessel owner is responsible for ensuring that a vessel is reasonably well equipped, well repaired, and fit for the voyage to be taken. If not, an injured worker may seek compensation with an unseaworthiness claim.
Seaman Wage and Hour Claims
Depending on the vessel and the voyage, penalty statutes may apply to employers who are late paying wages. If federal penalties do not apply, state wage laws may apply, particularly to seamen who work in state waters. To learn more about our attorneys' experience with seaman wage claims, please contact us for a free consultation.
Free Consultation · Call 1-800-883-9099 Toll Free
In addition to seaman wage and hour claims, our lawyers represent seamen and their loved ones in personal injury and wrongful death claims.
