Cruise Ship Crew Members Can Recover Damages for Workplace Injuries
To a passenger, a cruise ship is a place to relax and have fun. However, as passengers sail away from their stresses, the cruise ship workers are enduring their own kinds of occupational stresses to make the cruise successful for the passengers.
The job of a cruise ship crew member is often a difficult one. They have the risks of both resort workers and seamen. They must perform their duties in inclement weather and at the mercy of the sea.
Many Cruise Ship Workers are Seamen
In order to be considered seamen, cruise ship workers must work at sea and be assigned to a cruise vessel that is in navigation. Many cruise ship employees fit the legal definition of a seaman and are thus entitled to protection under the maritime law known as the Jones Act.
Potential Damages for Injured Cruise Ship Workers
The Jones Act provides coverage to injured cruise ship crew members. An injured cruise ship worker can recover compensation for medical expenses, including hospital stays and rehabilitation services, until the worker has reached the maximum medical cure.
Cruise ship workers are also entitled to compensation for living expenses that they would not have had to pay for if they were still working and living aboard the cruise ship. Living expenses, known as maintenance in the Jones Act, may include compensation for housing expenses and food.
How to Recover Jones Act Damages
Cruise ship owners and operators, like other maritime employers, are not always eager to pay fair damages to injured seamen. If you have been hurt in a cruise ship accident then you need the legal assistance of experienced New Jersey and New York cruise ship accident lawyers. The New York and New Jersey maritime lawyers of Hofmann & Schweitzer work hard to get injured cruise ship employees the damages that they deserve. Contact us today at 1-800-3-MAY-DAY for more information about your rights.