Maintenance and Cure: The Facts
Because the sea can be a dangerous, even a life-threatening place to earn a living, the federal government enacted the Jones Act nearly a century ago to protect people who work offshore. Through the Jones Act, a maritime seaman is entitled to financial assistance from the ship’s owner following an injury or illness at sea. The law states that a vessel owner must cover medical expenses related to any on-the-job injury or illness until the worker reaches “maximum medical improvement”; in other words until further treatment will no longer improve the condition.
Under the Jones Act, a seaman is also entitled to daily payments intended to cover room and board while he or she recovers. Unfortunately, the amounts paid tend to be low and often range from $15 to $35 per day. The duty to make maintenance payments also lasts until the injured or ill individual reaches maximum medical improvement.
If you work offshore on a barge, drillship, rig or other type of vessel and have been seriously hurt due to someone else’s carelessness, contact the experienced Jones Act Lawyers at Zehl & Associates today for a free, confidential consultation: 1 1-888-302-3838. We proudly represent injured seamen from across the nation, including Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
