Spend 30% of active service on a Merchant Marine vessel and you can qualify for Benefits

The Jones Act, which is officially titled as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is named after the late Senator Wesley Jones, who was the original sponsor. Prior to the act, the American Merchant Marine, sailers and ship's crew had little to to no options for recovering damages or even getting assistance in the matter. Because being a seamen was and is still quite dangerous, the Jones Act was passed to establish a system of benefits and protections for sailers.

The Jones Act restricts shipping and passenger trade within the United States to American owned or American flagged ships and mandates that 75% of the crew must consist of United States citizens. Even the number of parts and amount of labor in the construction and repair of ships remains heavily restricted. This section of the Jones Act provides work for United States citizens in times of war and peace.

The second section of the Jones Act ensures that any sailer who is injured at sea is entitled to maintenance and cure. This means that the employer, whether it be in the private or government sector, must pay a daily stipend and provide medical care to treat the injury. In addition to maintenance and cure, a sailer can also sue for damages if the injury was caused by negligence.

To be a member of a crew, a person must spend no less than 30% of active duty hours on a marine vessel and usually includes masters, mates, sailors, surveyors, carpenters, metalworkers, coopers, stewards, cooks, doctors, engineers, pilots, firemen, deck hands, oil rig workers, waiters, bartenders, and welders.

Over the past two decades, we've built a reputation of integrity, skill and professionalism with clients, other lawyers, judges and the community- specializing in personal injury cases resulting from automobile accidents, medical malpractice, premise liability and products liability, plus insurance bad faith, worker's compensation and social security claims. In our three offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Marlton, New Jersey, our reputation with other attorneys, judges and insurance companies is extremely important because an attorney's ability to achieve a great result for a client is in part determined by opposing counsel's assessment and an insurance company's assessment of that attorneys skills. While a law suit is never fun, we want to express to you that we take each case personally, and we're dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for you and your family. If you have suffered an injury in one of the following areas please contact our legal professionals for free legal advice today:

We are proud of our accomplishments including those of our founder Howard Silverman, who has been recognized for providing outstanding personal injury advocacy as reflected in his selection as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in 2008, and his induction as a lifetime member in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor held by less than two percent of all personal injury attorneys in the United States. We invite you to learn more about our Philadelphia personal injury law firm, our accomplished personal injury attorneys and our demonstrated track record of success.

If you are involved in an accident please call us toll free at 866-484-6992 or visit one of our three locations in center city Philadelphia, Lancaster or Marlton. If you live outside of Pennsylvania and New Jersey feel free to contact the American Justice Network, a personal injury litigation network that leverages decades of experience and relationships with attorneys to facilitate a connection with the best attorney for you.

If you are involved in an accident please call us toll free at 866-484-6992, fill out the online form to the right, or visit one of our three locations in center city Philadelphia, Lancaster or Marlton. If you live outside of Pennsylvania and New Jersey feel free to contact the American Justice Network, a personal injury litigation network that leverages decades of experience and relationships with attorneys to facilitate a connection with the best attorney for you.