Injured Seaman Sues Employer Under Jones Act

A man who suffered a severe back injury while working as a deck hand aboard an oil-drilling vessel in the Gulf of Mexico has sued his employer under the Jones Act, the federal law which compensates seaman for work-related injuries caused by their employers’ negligence.

George Gordon, of Monroe, La., was injured in October 2007 while working for Diamond Offshore Services Company on the vessel Ocean Crusader. Gordon suffered “severe and painful injuries to his back” due to his employer’s negligence and failure to maintain a seaworthy vessel. Gordon filed his lawsuit on August 25, 2008 in 10th District Court in Galveston, Texas.

As a result of the injury, Gordon said he is unable to earn a living or afford his pharmaceutical or medical care expenses.

Under the Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, Gordon would be eligible for financial damages as a result of the accident if a judge or jury agrees that Diamond Offshore Services was negligently responsible for their employee’s injury.

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