How can the Jones Act support your personal injury claim? Seamen can hold their employers accountable in the event of an injury onboard the vessel they serve. Learn about the slight causation standard under the Jones Act. It may well affect your case.

Seaman’s Jones Act Claim

You have the legal right to seek damages from your vessel employer. A Jones Act claim helps you to set this in motion if you sustain an injury in the course and scope of your employment. Do not be hesitant to file a personal injury lawsuit following an accident. As a part of your overall seamen’s rights and remedies, the Jones Act protects your interests. At the same time, you are protected against retaliation.

By bringing a Jones Act claim, you can get compensation to cover your loss of earnings and medical expenses, among other recoverable damages. Under certain circumstances, Jones Act seamen can also receive additional types of compensation on top of the ‘trinity of remedies’. To increase your chance of a financial recovery, you should prove a couple of factors surrounding your case. What proof would you need to accomplish this goal?  

Proving Your Jones Act Employer’s Negligence 

A seaman can recover damages for an injury if their Jones Act employer’s negligence played any part, even in the slightest, in causing that injury. The Jones Act requires a relatively low burden of proof. This is what the legal term ‘causation’ means in simple words. 

Ultimately, thanks to this relaxed burden of proving causation, even sparse evidence can work in your favor. You only need to show that your employer’s negligence played a part, no matter how small, in causing your injury. 

A breach of the Jones Act employer’s duties exposes the whole crew to risks. But do you have any fault for the accident? Learn how your fault affects your recovery under the Jones Act.