The Jones Act protects you after a spine or back injury at sea

There are so many ways that a maritime worker can be hurt at sea, and on-the-job accidents can result in serious damage to a worker’s back or spine.  If you think that you hurt your spine in a maritime accident, you may be eligible for compensation under the Jones Act.

The Jones Act is a federal law designed to protect the rights of injured seamen similar to how other workers are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.  If you are hurt while working for a maritime employer, your injuries maybe covered by the Jones Act.

Back injuries may not be immediately apparent, so it is very important that you be seen by a doctor after a serious accident.  Even after you see the doctor, if you develop symptoms of a back or spine injury you need to go back just in case.  Sometimes spinal injuries take time to become obvious, and you don’t want to risk chronic pain or paralysis because you did not receive the treatment you need to get better.

You can read more about attorneys and Jones Act in our maritime law library article “Tips on lawyers and maritime injury and Jones Act cases”, and you can read about back injuries in “Maritime workers: don’t wait to get help after your spine or back injury”.