Another important aspect that is dealt with through the Jones Act is the protection of crew members on a vessel in the event of an injury. A crew member has been determined by the Supreme Court to be a member of the crew or the master on a vessel. The individual must have an actual vessel or fleet that they have been assigned to, must have tasks that are necessary to the purpose of the vessel and they must have a substantial connection to the vessel. Through this act, seamen and their families are given certain rights, such as the ability to take out a lawsuit against an employer if they are injured or killed. This may be the fault of another worker on the ship, or can be negligence on the part of the ship owner.
There are thousands of individuals working out on the water and many of the conditions they face can be extremely dangerous. There is heavy lifting, weather conditions, dangerous equipment, unseaworthy vessels and more, making the everyday job of these workers a high risk area. They are putting their lives in the hands of their employers in many ways and those employers have a responsibility to take every effort to look out for them. This includes making sure that the ship is safe and up to standards, as well as that all crew members have been properly trained. For seamen that have been injured on the job, the Jones Act provides the opportunity to seek compensation to help repair the damage if they can prove that the incident was in fact a result of the owner’s negligence or the mistake of another worker.