The Jones Act and Mississippi Workplace Injuries – What You Need to Know About an Important Workers’ Compensation Exception for Certain Mississippi Seamen

Mississippi workers who have been injured on the job and who are interested in seeking compensation for the time that they are out of work, in order to survive and treat their injuries, may wonder exactly which legal framework applies to them for their workplace injury claim. Indeed, while most injured workers in Mississippi are covered by the state’s workers’ compensation program, there are some exceptions to this, and some workers may have other options for compensation for their workplace injury case. One important exception that Mississippi workers and their families should know about is for workplace injuries that fall under the ambit of the Jones Act. But what exactly is the Jones Act? And where can injured Louisiana workers who may have Jones Act claims turn to for legal help with their workplace injury claims? We answer those questions here.

The Jones Act – What Is it?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, “The most far reaching of the coastwise trade statutes, is the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 55102), a section of the 1920 Merchant Marine Act that strictly speaking, only applies to merchandise being transported by water between U.S. points.  The law requires that this cargo is to be shipped solely aboard vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-citizen owned, and registered in the U.S., which means crewed by Americans.” However, in addition to being an important trade statute, the Jones Act also has implications for injured workers. Under the Jones Act, a worker who is classified as a “seamen” (as defined by the Jones Act) must pursue their workplace injury claim under the Jones Act. This takes the injured worker’s case out of the hands of the State of Mississippi and the Mississippi workers’ compensation system, and places it under the ambit of the Jones Act, which is a federal law. Of course, whether your claim is a Jones Act claim is a question that is best suited for an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer, who can walk you through your workplace accident claim to determine which legal framework applies, and your best next steps to take in your case to get compensation due to you.

Getting Legal Help in Mississippi – Consulting with a Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Lawyer 

As demonstrated, the laws that apply to workplace accident cases in Mississippi can be complex and challenging, and injured workers who are not familiar with the legal process or the law may not know what to do next to get important compensation due to them after a serious workplace accident occurs. If you are in Mississippi and you need legal help with your workplace accident case, do not hesitate to speak with an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible. The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at the law firm Lunsford Baskin & Priebe are here to help injured Mississippi workers get compensation due to them under state and federal laws. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe today and speak to a lawyer about your case now.

Source:

maritime.dot.gov/ports/domestic-shipping/domestic-shipping#:~:text=The%20most%20far%20reaching%20of,supplies%20in%20time%20of%20contingency.