subject: Jones Act Law : Your Shield Against Helplessness [print this page] Fast growing industry, high demand on production, the need of employees were going high too. There were huge percentage that was took by the unemployed society, despite of the fast growing world of industry. One of those industry that were on the demand of individuals to render service to them was the Maritime Industry. Radio officer, seaman, dock workers, electronics officer,boat captain and crews, tanker or cargo ship employee, offshore rig, barge men and ferry or water tax workers were just a few job under a maritime industry.
It was year 1993 when my father began working on a barge, it was almost 17 years of working under a maritime company. With those years there were instances that he got a personal injury while at work but was just the good thing that it was not critical.
You were aware that Maritime Industry was one of the riskiest industry yet the fast growing industry and offers high compensation rate to its employees. The common reasons why there were several cases of accidents and personal injury occurs under the above mention industry were: first, the employee were often times working long number of hours than the standard working hours, they were exposed to various chemicals, they may be working offshore for several months and lack medical attention.
Complex working time and the possibility of having injured during work was always possible, the only we should consider was; "Does suffering was worthy?" What it mean was, yes, you were rendering your service in a specific company but it was not ending in having a job alone, you must see to it that you know your claims and privileges under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 or the Jones Act Law. Serves as the protection and see to it that the workers would not end up to negligence, that was the reason why Jones Act Law was passed.
The said law may have difficulty to understand well but as a maritime employee you must if because that was the shield that protects you. There were instances that a company was giving payment for hospital bills and give an amount to you, but how sure you were that it was the claims that you must have? The Jones Act Law state the claims of an employee depending to its designation. For you to be fully cleared about it you could researches or may ask a Jones Act Lawyer which was specialized on the cases involving Jones Act Claims.
