Maintenance and cure benefits are two types of compensation that an injured seaman can receive after being hurt on the job under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, which is more commonly known as the Jones Act. This body of law was passed to protect maritime workers who are injured during the course and scope of their job duties.
Maintenance and cure benefits are available for injuries and illnesses that were contracted as part of a person’s job duties. There are a few key differences between maintenance and cure benefits that are important to understand before you begin pursuing your compensation claim.
What Are Maintenance Benefits?
If you are awarded maintenance benefits, this category of damages is designed to compensate you for the cost of room and board while you are required to recover from your injuries at home. This category comes from the employer’s historical obligation to ensure that a seaman has room and board while they are working on a vessel.
Some of the expenses that fall under this category include:
- Rent or mortgage
- Utilities
- Homeowner’s insurance
- Food
- Property taxes
A few items of expenses are excluded, however, such as internet and telephone expenses. These are not deemed related to the running of a household. If you have questions about what qualifies as a maintenance expense, you can speak to a lawyer about your situation.
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What Are Cure Benefits?
If you are awarded cure benefits, this category of damages is designed to provide you with compensation for reasonable and necessary medical treatment. This can also include the cost of transportation to and from medical appointments. Some examples of medical costs that you may have incurred or will incur in the future include:
- Emergency transportation costs
- Surgeries
- Hospitalizations
- Physical therapy
- MRIs and CT scans
- Medical equipment (e.g., wheelchairs)
- Medications
- Doctor’s appointments
- Transportation
If you are not sure whether something qualifies as a cure expense, it is a good idea to keep a record of it until you can speak with a lawyer. This includes receipts, explanation of benefits, invoices, and any other document reflecting charges for medical treatment.
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Pursuing Your Right to Maintenance and Cure Benefits
If you are awarded maintenance and cure damages, you will receive them until you reach a status called maximum medical improvement (MMI). This is the point at which a doctor determines that you have reached the maximum level of physical recovery possible with ongoing medical treatment. In other words, it means your injuries are not going to get any better past this point.
When a doctor declares that you have reached MMI, they typically discharge you from their care and allow you to return to work. They may impose some restrictions on your work duties and indicate that you can only perform light-duty tasks. In other situations, they may clear you for all activities.
Payment Schedule
Maintenance and cure benefits are typically paid on a weekly or biweekly schedule until the employer’s duty to pay you is discharged. The Jones Act provides a method for calculating the compensation amount of maintenance and cure payments that someone is eligible to receive.
Your maintenance payments will be based on your household expenses, while cure payments will be based on your actual medical expenses. This is why it is important to keep diligent records of your costs so that you can establish them efficiently during the claims process.
Union Members
It is also important to note that in some situations, your status as a member of a union may impact the number of benefits that you receive. You may be entitled to a predetermined amount of maintenance benefits if you are part of a union, regardless of your actual household expenses.
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Holding Your Employer Accountable
Unfortunately, even when an employee has clear injuries and expenses that arose from their job duties, some employers attempt to fight the claim or stop paying expenses as soon as they can.
If a worker has been incapacitated for several months due to their injuries, their employer may try to demand that the worker undergo an independent medical exam to determine whether the worker is healthy enough to return to work.
This can be a jarring and unexpected situation, especially if you are nowhere near recovered. Many times, doctors are unaware of the realities of performing work as a seaman and the serious physical demands involved.
If you undergo an independent medical exam that concludes you should return to work, and you think it is incorrect, you can seek a second opinion. Having a maritime injury lawyer on your side can help you protect your health and your legal right to continue receiving benefits.
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You Will Not Have to Pay Us Upfront Legal Fees to Handle Your Maritime Injury Claim
After a significant maritime injury, you might not be able to work for a while. Even with maintenance and cure benefits, you will likely struggle to make ends meet. The last thing you need at a time like this is to have to pay upfront legal fees to have a maritime injury lawyer go after the compensation you deserve.
We handle maritime injury claims on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not pay us any upfront legal fees. We work tirelessly on your claim and fight for the money damages you need, without a penny coming out of your pocket up front. Instead, we receive a portion of the settlement proceeds or jury award from the trial for our hard work.
Find Out How We Have Helped Other Clients
We fight tenaciously for our clients to get the compensation they need to rebuild their lives after significant injuries. Here are a few examples of results we have won for our clients:
- $5.5 million for an injured maritime worker
- A $7 million judgment for the injured driver of an 18-wheeler
- $4.8 million for an auto accident
- A $23 million judgment for the wrongful death of a mother
Call us today to find out how we can help you with your maritime injury claim. We do not guarantee any specific amount of money damages, but we do promise to go after the money damages you deserve aggressively. We do not quit.
Testimonials From Other Clients
We know how hard we work for our clients, but you do not have to take our word for it. You can read what other clients have said about us:
- Kyle, a former client, said, “The staff at Laborde and Earles is top notch. From the attorneys that handled my case (Kelby and Scott) to all the paralegals and other staff that assisted with my case, all were awesome. Would highly recommend!”
- Lacey, a former client, raved that “They helped me when the other party’s insurance wouldn’t answer my calls! They got the job done and efficiently!”
- Todd, a former client, described us as “Courteous and punctual, always polite and professional, always returns calls and takes time to answer any and all questions.”
Feel free to check out other testimonials on our website. We are deservedly proud of our five-star rating, based on 1,945 Google reviews. We bend over backwards to help our clients get the justice they deserve.
What You Can Expect From Us
Our clients know that they can focus on getting better because we are taking care of their legal matters. We take the stress of their injury claim or lawsuit off their shoulders so they can devote their energy and attention to their health and well-being. People who try to handle their own maritime injury claims as a DIY project without a lawyer on their side do not have that advantage.
Legal claims and litigation are unpredictable, but there are some things that you can count on if we take your case. We will take the time to listen to you and answer your questions. We will treat you with respect and courtesy. We will keep you informed on updates in your case.
Call a Maritime Injury Attorney Today for Help
If you have more questions about what maintenance and cure benefits are for and your potential right to receive them, Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help. During your free consultation, you can ask questions about the process and learn more about how these laws apply to your unique situation. To get started, contact us now to speak with a lawyer in our Lafayette office.
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