What is the Jones Act?

The Jones Act is a federal maritime law that provides benefits for employees who are injured on seagoing vessels while in navigable waters, as well as employees on oceangoing oil rigs that are mobile and not permanently fixed. In effect, the Jones Act is a type of workers' compensation insurance specifically for merchant mariners, harbor pilots, oil rig employees, and other employees who make their living at sea. Benefits of the Jones Act include what are known as "maintenance" and "cure." Maintenance is a daily pay stipend for workers who are unable to work, while cure entails medical care, including access to doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions drugs.