The Jones Act

TheJonesAct-MaritimeLaw

ThemaritimelawknownastheJonesActwaspassedbytheUnitedStatesCongresstoprotectinjuredseaman.Offshoreworkers,merchantseamen,andothersoftenusetheterm"maritimelaw"whenreferringtotheJonesAct.Forpurposesofthisarticle"maritimelaw"and"JonesActaresynonymous.

Maritimelawcoverslegalaffairsanddealingsbetweenshipowners,crewmembers,passengersandcargoesonthehighseasandothernavigablewaters.TheU.S.Constitutiongrantsfederaljudicialpowertoallmaritimelawcases.TheJudiciaryActof1789gavethefederaldistrictcourtsexclusivejurisdictioninmaritimelawcasesandmadetheSupmeCourtthefinalarbiterofadmiraltylawdisputes.Statecourtsarestillallowedtohearsomeadmiraltylawcases.

MaritimelaworiginatedfromancientcustomsofearlyMediterraneanseafaringnations.TheearliestmaritimelawissaidtohaveinfluencedtheRomanlegalsystem.Becausethefundamentaldangersofseafaringhaveneverchanged,today'smaritimelawisamixtureofancientrulesandnewlaws.Infact,thetime-honoredprinciplesof"maintenanceandcure"arestillusedtoday.

TheJonesActisafederallawthatregulatesshipping,andtherefore,jobinjuriesinvolving"vessels"whicharecoveredundertheJonesAct."Vessels"includesoffshoredrillingrigsincludingjack-updrillingrigs,semi-submersibledrillingrigsanddrillships.Boats,ships,barges,tugs,crewboats,supplyboats,cruiseships,containership,containership,fishingshipsandboatsandevenhelicoptershavebeenheldtobe"vessels"undertheJonesAct.TheJonesActgotit'snamefromU.S.SenatorWesleyJoneswhosponsoredthebill.TheJonesActhasbeenamendedmanytimesandwasrecentlyre-codified.

JonesActlawandmaritimelawareverycomplex.Thestatutes,bythemselves,areonlyasmallpartofJonesActlawandmaritimelaw.ActualcourtcaseswhichareappealedmakeupalargepartofJonesActlawandmaritimelaw.Generally,JonesActlawswerewrittentoprotectpeoplewhoworkonships,oilrigs,orothersea-goingvessels.However,JonesActlawisverydifferentfromworkerscompensationlaw.UndertheJonesActaninjuredworkermustprovethattheshipordrillingrigowneroperatorwerenegligentoratfaultforyourinjury.