The Jones Act is a federal maritime law that provides certain rights to seamen injured during the course of employment on a vessel. Specifically, the Jones Act gives injured seamen the right to sue their employers for compensation for past and future medical expenses, physical pain, disfigurement, mental anguish, physical impairment, and loss of earning capacity. The Jones Act may also provide injured seaman the right to maintenance and cure benefits, which includes daily living expenses and medical costs.
Under the Jones Act, employers or vessel owners are required to provide crew members with a reasonably safe work environment. To receive compensation for a claim under the Jones Act, you must prove that your injuries were caused, at least in part, by your employer’s negligence. Injuries to seamen commonly result from:
- Unseaworthy vessels
- Failure to properly maintain or secure equipment
- Failure to provide crew members with the proper safety gear
- Inadequately or improperly trained crew members
- Insufficient crew members assigned to work with a piece of equipment
- Faulty equipment
At The Krist Law Firm, P.C., our team of Houston injury lawyers have over four decades of experience handling offshore injury cases under the Jones Act. If you or your loved one has been seriously injured in an offshore accident, contact our Houston offshore injury attorneys today at (281) 283-8500 for a free consultation.
Texas Maritime Workers’ Rights Against Retaliatory Discharge
When offshore workers are injured at sea due to their employer or vessel owner’s negligence, the last thing they should have to worry about is getting fired. The unfortunate reality is that some employers may threaten a seaman’s job to keep them from filing a Jones Act claim. If you are considering filing a Jones Act claim, but are hesitant because you are concerned you may lose your job, it is important to understand your rights.
Texas, like many other states, is an “at-will” employment state. In general, this means that employees without a contract can be terminated for any legal reason or no reason at all. However, state and federal law prohibit an employer from retaliating against an employee for exercising a protected legal right, which includes filing a claim under Jones Act for work-related injuries.
If you have been fired for filing a Jones Act claim, you may be able to recover compensation through a retaliatory discharge or wrongful termination lawsuit against your employer. In order to ensure that your legal rights are protected, it is important that you speak with a knowledgeable Houston Jones Act lawyer as early as possible.
How Our Houston Offshore Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you have sustained injuries while at sea or feel that you have experienced illegal retaliation for filing a Jones Act claim, the skilled team of Houston offshore injury lawyers at The Krist Law Firm, P.C. can help. We have a deep understanding of the Jones Act and we are committed to protecting the rights of injured offshore workers.
We have a successful track record of representing injured maritime workers including the largest published recovery for a single maritime plaintiff in Texas history. We have the resources, knowledge, and skills to fight for the maximum compensation available in your case and we will make sure that your interests are fairly represented throughout the legal process.
To learn how we can help, contact our offshore accident attorneys near Houston today at (281) 283-8500 for a free consultation.