Legal Damages

The following details many of the legal damages that an injured seaman is able to claim. Suits for legal damages may be filed in either a state civil or a federal court, however if the injured seaman does not go to court to establish negligence, then a seaman will only be entitled to transportation, wages, maintenance, and cure to cover the costs of food and lodging, as well as their necessary medical expenses. Even if an injured seaman is not covered under the Jones Act he may still be entitled to some expenses, such as lost wages and lost earning capacity.

Lost Wages

Oftentimes, when someone is injured on the job, they are left to fend for themelves, and both them and their dependants can find themselves in a difficult situation due to the lost income. It is because of this that the Jones Act has provisions in it that provide for the lost wages of a worker who is injured on the job, providing the injury can be shown to be even 1% the fault of the employer.

For instance, if someone is injured and it has been two or three months since they have been able to go to work, then they will be entitled to two or three months wages, as if they had been working that entire time. While this may not sound like much if it is only two or three months, this can amount to a great deal if has been more than a year.