When a sailor or any other overseas worker is injured while being on high sea they are protected by a federal law called the Jones Act (Merchant Marine Act). This law involves U.S. flagged ships that were built in the U.S. and are owned by american citizens, they also need to be documented under American laws. All the officers and 75% of the crew must be U.S. citizens.
The Jones Act was enacted in 1920; it protects the rights of workers in all extents, it allows injured sailors or workers to obtain compensation for the negligence of the ship-owner, the captain or any other member of the crew.
This legislation is very similar to the one that protects railroad workers and operates in the same way when fighting for recoveries. In the same way as other worker compensation statutes the Jones Act entitles the affected individuals to "transportation, wages, maintenance and cure".
If a employee wins a lawsuit against the employer then the ship-owner or employer must get the worker home, pay him wages while unable to work and provide medical care for his injuries until the recovery is complete. If the injuries were caused by the negligence of the employer, captain, ship-owner, or any member of the crew then the sailor might be able to obtain damages for pain and suffering.
In 1995 the United States Supreme Court ruled that any worker who spends more than thirty percent of his time in the service of a ship on navigable waters qualifies as a seaman under the Jones Act. If you want to file a lawsuit or class action under the Jones act it can be brought either in a U.S. federal court or in a state court.
Maritime accident victims should always look for the legal protection that will assure them fair compensation, the right medical treatment, loss wages and any other reimbursement that they may need.