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A: This is an all too common case of outdated contract language that allows companies to take advantage of seafarers. Under the Jones Act, an employer must pay an injured worker maintenance which is a daily room and board rate equal to the value received on the vessel. Unfortunately, companies have been allowed to get away with lowballing the maintenance value wording in contracts to as little as $15 to $20 per day. Decades ago those numbers may have made sense but no one should be expected to live on that amount. Still, companies use the contract to their advantage. However, an experienced offshore attorney can remedy this injustice although it often requires going to court.
