What are your rights under the Jones Act?
You have the right to have an attorney represent you.
Your attorney deals with your employer, insurance company and adjuster on your behalf. Your attorney should be responsible for preparing your claim, negotiating to obtain the maximum benefits to which you are entitled and assisting you in finding appropriate medical treatment. In many cases, you can have a role in selection of your health care providers.
You have the right to have your case heard, in most circumstances, by a judge or jury.
If you, your employer, insurer and adjuster are unable to reach an agreement, in most circumstances, you have a right to take your case to a judge or jury.
Sometimes matters of immediate importance, for example, wrongful denial of maintenance, unpaid wages due, or failure to provide medical treatment when warranted, may be taken up on shortened notice by motion filed in court. In almost all cases in which a claim is filed in court, a trial date will be set for resolution of the claim.
You have the right not to be made a victim a second time.
Injured persons are often victimized twice, once at the time of injury and the by what happens following injury. Overzealous adjusters, employers, and insurers solely interested in minimizing the loss from a claim, or even uninformed friends with good intentions, all can lead to a second “victimization” of an injured person.
The best way to prevent becoming a victim a second time is to obtain immediate competent legal advice.
Call the Seamen Injury Hotline today at 888-732-6368, or complete our confidential form and we will follow up with you directly. We know the laws that protect every Jones Act Seaman and all maritime workers. We can help you understand your rights and how to protect them
