Who is considered a seaman?

A seaman an individual who is a member of a crew of a vessel or is a member of a crew of vessels under common ownerships. One of the reasons it is important to hire experienced maritime counsel is that the determination of who is a seaman and who is not is often a very technical and detailed analysis that must be made to determine what type of compensation the injured party is entitled. If one is found to be a seaman, he is entitled to recovery under the Jones Act and the general maritime law. He is one of the few workers who have a direct cause of action against his or her employer. If you work on the water, but are not considered a seaman, you may have a Longshore Harbor Workers Compensation or State Compensation remedy in addition to what is known as a third-party suit if you were injured through the fault of a company or individual that is not your employer. Once again, this is often a very detailed and fact specific analysis that must be made by competent and experienced maritime counsel.