Biloxi Admiralty and Maritime Injury Lawyer Represents Injured Seamen

Mississippi lawyer helping helping Jones Act sailors, offshore workers and longshoremen after accidents

Because of the dangers they face, sailors are provided with some of the strongest legal protections of any workers in the country. The Jones Act entitles injured seamen to remedies that are not available to other workers. Workers on drilling rigs and oil platforms are often covered by the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) and the general maritime law. Dockworkers can seek remedies under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Van Cleave Law P.A. educates clients throughout Mississippi on their rights and aggressively pursues any compensation they are owed by their employer.

The strong rights of sailors under the Jones Act

Rather than being subject to the workers’ compensation laws of Mississippi, seamen are treated as wards of the state and entitled to the specific federal protections laid out in the Jones Act. In order to qualify as a Jones Act seaman, you must work on a vessel and be injured while acting in service to that vessel. Seamen are eligible to receive “maintenance and cure,” which consists of an allowance and medical treatment until you have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). Seamen bringing an unseaworthiness claim often receive damages for pain and suffering, as well as past and future lost wages. At Van Cleave Law P.A., I will work to prove that you qualify as a Jones Act seaman, regardless of whether you are a United States citizen.

Helping other injured maritime workers get justice

Because the Jones Act only applies to certain workers, your case may instead fall under the general maritime law that allows for negligence claims. I will help you understand which laws apply in your case. The LHWCA applies to maritime workers who were injured on land in Mississippi, as well as dockworkers and stevedores. It functions like a national workers’ compensation system. DOHSA allows the family of maritime workers to seek compensation for their deaths when they were killed due to negligence at sea. At Van Cleave Law P.A., I work closely with clients to make sure they understand their rights under federal and state laws.

Trust my firm to help you after a maritime injury in Mississippi

Maritime cases are very different from standard injury cases. If you are a seaman or maritime worker and you have suffered an injury, it is important that you seek out a law firm with maritime injury experience. Van Cleave Law P.A. has experience fighting to get maritime workers compensation for their injuries. Call 228-207-0731 or contact me online to arrange a consultation with at my Biloxi office.