CAPTAIN, PILOT, MATE, ENGINEER INJURIES
The higher-ranking personnel aboard vessels include the captain, pilot, mate and engineer. If you hold one of these titles and are injured at work you likely have a claim against your employer for negligence under the Jones Act. The Jones Act provides captains with an important cause of action against their employer. Captains do not have workers U.S. Congress passed the Jones Act to give captains the right to sue their employers for personal injury damages when injured at work.
To receive compensation for work injuries, seamen must assert claims for (1) Jones Act negligence, (2) unseaworthiness and/or (3) maintenance and cure.
Do not be fooled by any suggestion that you cannot file a claim because you are one of the senior personnel on the vessel.
Captains, pilots, mates and engineers have and will continue to recover substantial compensation under the Jones Act.
If you are injured at work, it is critical you get off the vessel and receive medical treatment from the emergency room or a doctor of your own choosing. You should not go to the occupational health clinic or the doctor recommended by your employer. The medical facilities often generate significant business from employers and therefore are biased against you and will more likely than clear you to go back to work.
It is equally critical that you do not give detailed statements or interviews on how you were injured until after you speak with a maritime lawyer.
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​Adam Davis Law Firm suggests following when injured at work:
Report the Injury, Leave Work and Seek Medical Attention
Go to the emergency room or a doctor of your own choosing. Do this even if your injuries do not appear severe or life-threatening. You have the right to leave work to see a doctor of your own choosing. Do not go to the doctor or occupational health clinic recommended by your company.