Jones Act Lawyer
Maritime workers face difficult, dangerous and often unforgiving job responsibilities. As with any other job, employers in these situations have a duty to ensure their workers are protected and treated fairly. A crew rights attorney can help you understand your legal protections.
Since 1998, Paul M. Hoffman has provided legal advice and representation to seaman on cruise ships and yachts. These crews have a right to getting their wages paid in an appropriate timeline, a right to be free of sexual harassment, a right to proper and adequate medical care, and a right not to be fired if they report a violation of a federal law. All too often, these rights are ignored and a seaman is mistreated, injured or wrongfully terminated.
Hold the Cruise Line Accountable for Their Actions · Contact Hoffman Law Firm
Many laws and legal doctrines specifically deal with seaman and aspects of maritime work, including:
- The Jones Act permits seamen to seek compensation for injuries suffered as a result of the negligence of their employers or co-workers. Even in situations where the seamen knowingly engaged in hazardous job-related activities, they can seek monetary recovery. Additionally, a seaman can make a claim against the ship owner on the basis that the vessel was not seaworthy.
- Seaworthiness is the notion that a vessel is a safe environment. It is the duty of the ship owner to ensure the vessel's continued and ongoing seaworthiness through maintenance, repairs or taking the proper precautions. If a seaman is injured as a result of the unseaworthiness of a vessel, he or she can recover monetary damages from the employers, if he or she can show the accident was a result of a defect in the vessel's equipment.
- Maintenance and Cure is the doctrine that requires a ship owner or employer to furnish an ill or injured seaman with money for food and shelter until he is declared to have reached maximum medical improvement and to take whatever steps are necessary to provide prompt, proper and adequate medical care.
- Penalty Wages Doctrine says that a seaman's right to earned wages is sacred. If a seaman has been discharged from a vessel in a U.S. port and has not been paid all of his earned wages, there are substantial penalties that face the employer, whether a major cruise ship or private yacht owner.
- Retaliatory Discharge claims are based on firing a seaman for immoral reasons, such as refusing to lie about an accident or reporting environmental safety or overtime violations:
- Prompt, Proper and Adequate Medical Care is what the ship owner owes its ill or injured employees who get hurt or become ill while in the service of the vessel.
If you believe that any of these laws, rules or legal doctrines may apply to you or a loved one, do not hesitate to seek knowledgeable counsel from Hoffman Law Firm.
Hoffman Law Firm — Helping Clients Nationwide
If you have questions regarding crew rights overview, contact the Hoffman Law Firm at 954-707-5040 or complete the contact form on this website. We offer a free consultation, and services in English or Spanish.