The Jones Act is a section of law that was created in 1920 to protect maritime jobs and workers.
The Jones Act affects American maritime employment in a couple of ways:
The Jones Act was created when ships were used for transporting soldiers. As the U.S. joined WWI, it became clear that there were not enough American ships to transport soldiers and continue American maritime trade. This concerned the federal government, as American trade was at risk while America fought in wars overseas. After WWI, the federal government decided to force the growth of the ship building industry. To do this, lawmakers introduced the Jones Act. The Jones act stated that only American ships could transport American goods between U.S. ports. This law kept foreign ships out of the American shipping business, thus creating a need for American ships.
The Jones Act’s main goal was to increase the production of the American ship building industry. While the ship building industry would indeed increase under the Jones Act, maritime workers had yet to be given “workers’ rights” under American law. Before the Jones Act, offshore employers were not liable for injuries their workers sustained while out at sea. However, as the Jones Act led to the growth of thousands of American shipping jobs, the federal government felt that offshore workers needed to have the ability to sue their employer under laws similar to workers' compensation. Therefore, the Jones Act was the first piece of maritime law that actually defined a seaman’s right to sue their employer for injuries they sustained while performing work duties at sea.
Louisiana is known for its large role in American maritime employment. Its location lends itself to being a major player in American shipping and oil industries. Without the Jones Act, every one of these Louisiana oil rig workers, shipping employees, and longshoremen would be legally silenced. Maritime employers would have legal immunity against lawsuits claiming damages for employee injuries sustained while working on water vessels. Maritime employment would have terrible safety standards with no legal repercussions if the Jones Act didn't exist. The Jones Act cares for maritime workers across the United States, and maritime law would look nothing like it does today without the inclusion of the Jones Act. It upholds America’s shipping interests, continues to fuel the American shipbuilding industry, but, most importantly, protects maritime workers as they fulfill their industry duties.
The Jones Act has allowed Arnold & Itkin to fight for thousands of maritime workers. However, some of our proudest moments have been fighting for the men and women who live in the great state of Louisiana. We could not have secured multiple record-setting settlements for offshore workers if the Jones Act were not in existence. Our Louisiana maritime lawyers believe that the Jones Act protects thousands of Louisiana workers each and every year.
However, the Jones Act cannot and will not stop offshore accidents from happening.
The Jones Act only protects maritime workers in a court of law. That is why maritime employees should seek out trusted offshore injury attorneys at Arnold & Itkin if they ever receive offshore injuries. Our team is waiting to hear about your Louisiana maritime case. Call (888) 346-5024 for a free consultation with our maritime attorneys.
Arnold & Itkin represented nearly a third of the crewmembers injured in the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Because maritime law is so complex and so complicated, it is crucial that you work with an attorney who has an in-depth understanding of how it works and who has proven themselves in similar cases before.