Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers on Riverboat & Maritime Injuries
Getting to Know the Jones Act
When a person is injured at work, he or she should be entitled to Workers Compensation benefits, right? The answer is, not always. If an employee is a “seaman” who works aboard a vessel in “navigable waters”, he falls under the Jones Act. The Jones Act is a law that provides special protection to workers on boats. If you believe you may have a case that falls under the Jones Act and you live in Illinois, personal injury lawyers will be able to give you good representation.
A case that falls under the Jones Act is usually worth much more than a Workers Compensation case since Workers Compensation has strict statutory limits. In addition, with the Jones Act, the Plaintiff can have his case presented in court by a Chicago personal injury attorney, and a decision will be made by a jury, which is always preferable since they often have more in common with an injured Plaintiff.
Chicago personal injury attorneys highly recommend the following ANY time you are injured at work:
- Obtain immediate treatment
- Provide specific explanations to the doctor about how your accident happened (i.e. that it happened at work, the conditions, etc)
- Be accurate in your descriptions of pain problems to your doctor or the company doctor
- Get the names of witnesses and their phone numbers if possible
Obviously, immediate consultation with a Chicago personal injury attorney will dramatically improve your chances of success in a personal injury case. Employers have lawyers working full-time for one purpose – which is to stop you from receiving just compensation. Your Chicago personal injury attorney will work diligently to ensure that you do receive just representation and fair compensation according to the laws put in place to protect us.
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