Our Maritime Lawyer's Top 10 Resources for Maritime Workers

Whether you're a novice roustabout or a seasoned tankerman, you know that working offshore in the maritime industry is not for the frail and fragile. Maritime and offshore workers are often subject to long work hours, harsh working conditions, and sometimes grueling physical labor. Mariners and offshore workers must know their rights to protect themselves from negligent maritime companies. That's why our team of board-certified maritime lawyers put together this list of resources.

Seamen are protected under a federal law called the Jones Act, which provides sailors and seamen with added protections in the event of an offshore injury. When you have been in a maritime accident that has left you injured, you deserve to be compensated through the Jones Act.

We have written numerous blogs and filmed countless videos to inform hard-working maritime and offshore workers of their rights. Below are the top ten things every offshore worker should know:

1. Health Care Coverage for Jones Act Workers
• Maritime and offshore workers are entitled to special health care coverage for work-related injuries or illnesses under a federal act known as the Jones Act. Unfortunately, many maritime companies force their employees to pay for their own health care coverage and file their own insurance claims after an injury. At VB Attorneys, our Jones Act lawyers take on the burden of these inconveniences so that our clients can focus on their recovery. 
2. What is a Jones Act Seaman? - VB Attorneys
• As a maritime worker, “seamen” are entitled to maintenance and cure such as compensation for their medical care, lost wages, and potentially other financial damages if you are injured at work or suffer an occupational illness. While any law firm can advertise for Jones Act cases, most of them couldn’t tell you the first thing about maintenance and cure or unseaworthiness. Watch our video on the Jones Act and how it will cover your injuries.
3. What to Do If You Don't Like Working with Your Jones Act Lawyer
• After an offshore injury, mariners often hire the first lawyer they speak to or whoever pops up on their Google search results first. Unfortunately, only a handful of lawyers across the country have the expertise to successfully handle these kinds of cases. Don’t let a rookie attorney mishandle your case. To learn more about hiring a Jones Act Lawyer that will aggressively serve your best interests, watch our video on how to hire the best maritime lawyer.
4. Jones Act maintenance and cure facts | Jones Act maritime law
• Did you know that maritime workers are not entitled to worker's compensation benefits after an injury? Instead, men and women who work offshore are protected under the Jones Act, a federal law that provides injured seamen with certain protections and benefits. Understanding these benefits may mean the difference between lasting recovery and a financial safety net or a complicated claim with unresolved disputes. 
5. Important Facts About Jones Act Maintenance and Cure Law
• After a maritime or offshore injury, workers may not understand their rights or their options. They are likely dealing with medical appointments, financial stress, and the uncertainty of how to proceed. Under maritime law, employees working on vessels or rigs qualify for special benefits called Maintenance and Cure if they get sick or get injured at work. 
6. How maritime attorneys win your Jones Act lawsuit - VB Attorneys
• Most people, including lawyers, who have not been through this process have no idea what a Jones Act lawyer needs to do to properly develop and win a Jones Act claim. Our team details how we serve maritime workers to grant them the compensation they need and deserve.
7. Why injured maritime workers have to watch out for surveillance video
• A private investigator hired to follow you from your house to your job, to dinner, or your friends and family’s events may sound like something out of a bad movie. Unfortunately, it is not. That is standard practice in personal injury claims in the maritime industry. It is important that you know you are under surveillance at all times.
8. How to prove your employer is responsible for your maritime work injury
• There are many ways employers can prevent accidents and injuries at sea, and you, as a mariner, can hold your employer financially responsible for your medical care and expenses if they contributed to your injury.
9. Returning to work after a Maritime Injury
• If you were injured as a mariner or offshore worker, getting back to work can seem worse than your initial injuries. One of the most frequent questions we receive from injured mariners is whether or not they'll be able to work offshore again. Maritime lawyer Vuk Vujasinovic of VB Attorneys explains how to return to work safely after an offshore injury.
10. How to pay your bills after a Maritime Accident 
• Unfortunately, Maritime companies are notorious for exploiting their employee's financial insecurities after an injury. Specifically, they try to force employees to quit or come back to work before they are ready.

Testimonial Videos

At VB Attorneys, our maritime lawyers value our client’s wellbeing. When we work with you on your maritime injury case, you can trust that we will do everything in our power to get you the care and compensation that you deserve. To learn more about how we have helped injured maritime workers, visit our Testimonials page.

We Are Here to Help.

Contact us if you were hurt working on a vessel or on the job as a seaman and believe your injuries are a result of your company’s negligence. Our Board Certified attorneys have helped hundreds of maritime workers and seamen get the compensation they deserve and may be able to help you, too. Call us now at 877-7247-7800 or fill out a contact form below.