Experience You Can
Depend On

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Jones Act
  4.  » What types of water vessels are protected by the Jones Act?

What types of water vessels are protected by the Jones Act?

On Behalf of | Jan 10, 2020 | Jones Act

There are many facets to the Jones Act. It aims to protect the United States’ political sovereignty and national security and to secure the country’s economic welfare. It also protects seamen who become injured while on the job. Certain types of water vessels are protected under the Jones Act.

Water vessels must meet four primary requirements to be covered under the Jones Act, which forms part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920.

A boat or ship must have been either built or reconstructed here in the United States for it to be covered by the Jones Act. Federal legislation requires that the boat is registered in this country as well.

The water vessel in question must either be controlled by a U.S. citizen or owned by an American company. A foreign entity can maintain at least 25% of the ownership of the water vessel provided that a U.S. citizen owns the remaining 75% of it.

At least 75% of the ship’s crew must be U.S. citizens for the Jones Act to apply to it.

The Jones Act applies to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. There are additional laws that function similarly to this piece of federal legislation that apply to other U.S. territories such as Guam. The one exception to the latter is that they remove the requirement for water vessels to have been built in the U.S.

Most injured seamen are entitled to compensation for any injuries they suffer while on the job. An attorney in Manhattan can help you determine whether the water vessel that you were working on at the time of your injury in New York is the right type to qualify for compensation under this piece of federal legislation.