The Role Of The Seaman's Injury Log In Maritime Claims For Your Jones Act Attorney

By Marcia P Bosque

When seamen are injured on the job, injuries must be reported right away to the captain or mate to be documented correctly in the seaman's injury log. It's important to remember that an injured seaman has three years to report the injury and to seek the services of a Jones Act attorney from the date the injury took place to receive proper compensation. This compensation comes in two forms.

First, seamen are entitled to maintenance while they are recovering from an injury. Maintenance includes living expenses while undergoing medical treatment and reimbursement for the time lost from work. Maritime claims are best filed as soon as possible after the injury has occurred.

Injured seamen are also entitled to reimbursement called cure. This reimbursement is for all medical costs for doctor visits and medical procedures that are relevant to the seaman's injury.

Seaman that are injured while performing their job serving on the vessel are entitled to both compensations. A Jones Act attorney can help the injured seaman through all the necessary paperwork. Maritime claims help injured seamen to receive all due compensation.

Seaman's Compensation Is Guarded By The Court System

Seaman's rights to file claims for compensation, and the compensation that those rights entitle seamen to receive are closely guarded and protected by the court system. And the seaman is entitled to compensation for injury and medical treatment regardless of who is at fault for the accident. This is an important point to remember when seeking the services of a Jones Act attorney.

Many times, there is no fault when an injury or illness occurs. Many times there is not even a specific accident or incident. But when there is a specific accident or incident, the seaman must be sure to have everything carefully documented as soon as possible after it occurs.

Claims can also be made for damages due to negligence of the employer to offer safe working conditions, or if the vessel the seaman is working on is found not to be seaworthy. In all these instances, the seaman may be entitled to maintenance and cure amounts and may also be entitled to extra amounts due to this employer negligence in the form of punitive damages.

The Seaman's Injury Log Is A Crucial Document

An injured seaman should never rely solely on the employer to do what is right and offer compensation for injuries that occur while working on a vessel. Jones Act attorneys advise that there are steps that the injured seaman should always take to make sure that he or she receives proper compensation in the future for work-related injuries.

First, it is imperative to have the injury documented by the vessel master or by the immediate supervisor. This is done in the form of a formal report of employee injury. The injured seaman should always ask for a copy of the accident report and keep copies of it for his or her own records.

It is a Coast Guard specification that seaman injury logs be kept by the operator or owner of the vessel. And the injury logs must be updated every time there is any kind of significant injury on-board the vessel. Requesting a copy of this log will help your Jones Act attorney ensure that the maritime claims process goes more quickly and smoothly.

The Houston Jones Act attorneys at Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer and Harris have decades of experience in helping seamen get the compensation they are entitled to. Talk to a Houston maritime lawyer today and learn your rights.

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