The Jones Act is a federal law that offers legal support to maritime industry workers. It is designed to help ensure that seamen injured while on a vessel are able to secure the full and fair financial support that they rightfully deserve. Maintenance and cure benefits are one of the core types of financial compensation that you can seek through a Jones Act injury claim. Here, our Houston Jones Act attorneys explain the most important things to know about these benefits.
Maintenance and Cure Benefits Cover Basic Costs
Under the Jones Act, maintenance and cure benefits are intended to cover the basic costs that an injured seaman endures after a maritime accident. More specifically, these benefits work as follows:
- Maintenance Benefits: Maintenance benefits provide compensation for an injured worker’s day-to-day living expenses. These benefits are designed to cover the basics. Maintenance benefits are generally paid out at a rate between $15 and $50 per day, depending on many different factors, including union contracts.
- Cure Benefits: Cure benefits are intended to cover the costs of immediate medical care for a seaman injured or made ill within the course and scope of their maritime employment. It includes medical costs such as emergency room services, hospital care, follow-up appointments, and prescription drugs.
Maintenance and Cure are No-Fault Benefits
One of the key things to understand about maintenance and cure benefits under the Jones Act is that they are no-fault benefits. In effect, this means that an injured seaman can seek financial support for these benefits without proving employer negligence. In this way, Jones Act maintenance and cure benefits are similar to traditional workers’ compensation benefits. If you have any specific questions about the no-fault standard for maintenance and cure benefits, contact an experienced Texas maritime accident attorney for more information.
Maintenance and Cure Benefits are Limited—You May be Eligible for Additional Support
Maintenance and cure benefits are limited. In most cases, these benefits will not be sufficient to cover the full extent of an injured maritime worker’s damages. You may have additional damages for lost wages, medical care, pain and suffering, and long-term disability that are not covered by no-fault maintenance and cure benefits. The good news is that you can file a fault-based Jones Act injury claim against a negligent employer. Maritime employers that fail to provide safe, seaworthy working conditions must be held accountable. A Jones Act injury lawyer can help you maximize your financial recovery after a serious accident.
Call Our Houston, TX Jones Act Attorneys for Immediate Legal Support
At the Kolodny Law Firm, our Houston Jones Act lawyers are knowledgeable, results-driven advocates for victims and their loved ones. We know how to hold negligent employers and their insurers accountable for paying out claims. If you have any concerns about these benefits, we are here to help. Contact us now for a free, fully confidential consultation. With a legal office in Houston, we provide Jones Act representation all around the surrounding region.
Alan Kolodny is committed to representing injured clients in Texas and throughout the United States. Alan earned his B.A. from Rice University and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University.
He focuses his practice on representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases involving the following matters: maritime and offshore accidents, including those under the Jones Act; automobile and 18-wheeler truck accidents; and industrial site accidents, work-related accidents, and claims for injured railroad workers under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act.
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