subject: How Can The Jones Act And Maritime Law Help Me If I Have Been Exposed To Asbestos Working Offshore [print this page] How Can The Jones Act And Maritime Law Help Me If I Have Been Exposed To Asbestos Working Offshore
Many offshore workers and Jones Act seamen previously worked around asbestos drilling mud during the 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s. Under the Jones Act an employee is allowed to file suit directly against his previous employer for any negligence which may have caused or contributed to any injury or illness of the employee. In the case of past asbestos exposure, the Jones Act and Maritime Law provides significant rights to workers who have suffered from asbestosis, mesothelioma and even lung cancer. Specifically, many manufacturers of the asbestos products have previously filed bankruptcy. In the case of a Jones Act worker, however, he is allowed to file suit directly against his employer. Many of these drilling contractor employers are still in business today either as their original entity or as a subsequent entity which purchased the company many years ago. In other words, most Jones Act employees who were previously exposed to asbestos during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s can still file suit against a viable and available defendant today. This is a significant benefit since many asbestos manufacturers have filed bankruptcy and claims against these manufacturers often result in only a minimal recovery. In contrast, a suit directly against a previous Jones Act employer (or its predecessor company) can result in a significant recovery for the Jones Act seamen who was previously exposed to asbestos. Many workers who were previously exposed to asbestos are forced to file suit only against the manufacturers of the asbestos products. Unfortunately this has resulted in many companies filing bankruptcy and injured workers now receive only a small fraction of their total damages if they are fortunate to recover anything. In contrast, many offshore companies are still in existence today and are viable and available defendants. Additionally, many offshore companies from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s have been purchased by larger oil and gas companies. These predecessor companies can be sued today for the negligent acts of the previous companies. Fortunately the Jones Act and Maritime Law allow workers who were exposed to asbestos on offshore oil rigs to file suit directly against their previous employers. This provides solvent defendants and allows offshore workers who have suffered from asbestosis, mesothelioma and even lung cancer to recover significant damages due to their asbestos related illnesses. To learn more about how the Jones Act and Maritime Law can protect you if you were previously exposed to asbestos, contact our office today. You can also download our free information guide regarding asbestos on offshore oil rigs by visiting the website in the resource box.
