Navigating A Course To Justice

What is the difference between Jones Act claims and longshore claims?

Video Transcription: 

A Jones Act claim is for a crew member serving aboard a vessel in navigation. It is a negligence-based cause of action which the crew member must establish negligence. In other words, that the ship did or did not do something that caused or contributed to the injury.

A longshoreman, on the other hand, is generally a shore-based employee that engaged in stevedoring activities or ship repairs. He’s engaged in a maritime activity but doesn’t necessarily sail with the vessel and unlike a Jones Act crew member, which must establish negligence, a longshore harbor worker has strict liability much like a traditional workers’ compensation claim.