Jones Act Lawyers

Find a Lawyer in Your State

Need Help?

Find a Lawyer Near You

Call Today: (888) 327-5215

Submit your Jones Act Lawyers claim details for a free, no obligation case review

Get Started:

The Jones Act and Shipping

The Jones Act applies to essentially all shipping between any two ports in the United States. This 90-year-old set of laws mandate that commercial vessels taking cargo from one port in the U.S. to another in the U.S. be:

built
owned
operated
manned (at least 75 percent) by U.S. citizens

The vessel must also be flagged as a U.S. ship. Shipping between the continental states and Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico is also under the coverage of the Jones Act. Thus, all shipping companies that operate between two U.S. ports must comply with the Jones Act.

The Jones Act Shipping Industry

The Jones Act shipping industry accounts for a great number of vessels, jobs, and economic activity. It's estimated that more than 70,000 maritime employees work aboard some 40,000 Jones Act vessels, and another 85,000 work in U.S. shipyards. The yearly economic output of Jones Act shipping is over $14 billion.

Jones Act Oversight: The U.S. Coast Guard and Congress

Jones Act shipping (including ship building, repair, and rebuilding) is overseen by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The Coast Guard also reviews the ownership of each vessel requesting shipping permission under the Jones Act maritime laws.

The U.S. Congress has the option to change the provisions of the Jones Act (it's a federal law), and Congress had made revisions or amendments several times since the Act's implementation in 1920. Congress has consistently been supportive of the Jones Act laws, and President Obama has also voiced his support of the Act.

Jones Act Shipping Lobbies

The Maritime Cabotage Task Force represents much of the shipping industry's participating ship owners, and this group and the American Shipbuilding Association and the Shipbuilders Council of America lobby Congress on behalf of the Jones Act. These organizations are concerned about the shipping provisions of the Jones Act more so than its provisions for protecting maritime workers.

Arrange a Jones Act Discussion

If you are concerned about an injury that you or your loved one incurred on board a ship or in the service of its voyage, contact a Jones Act lawyer to learn more about your legal rights and alternatives.

Online Lawyer Source

Lawyers & Legal News Near You

Need Legal Help?

Start Here for a Free Case Review!