Many clients understandably have concerns about how long it will take to settle their Jones Act cases. Because a variety of maritime injuries and circumstances are involved in a Jones Act case, resolution times vary.
Some Jones Act cases can be settled in only a few months, but others may take a few years.
Factors that can affect how long it will take to settle your Jones Act case include:
- The severity of your injury
- How many parties are liable in the case
- Whether a lawsuit has been filed or not
- The ability to prove negligence or unseaworthiness
- Which insurance company is representing the boat owner and the employer
Lawyers for the insurance company or your employer will hold out as long as possible to avoid settling your case. Injured workers and the families of seamen killed on the job will want to work with a Jones Act attorney who does not rush to conclude a case by accepting a settlement that is less than what the client needs and deserves.
Jones Act cases settle when the two parties reach an agreement on a number. On certain occasions, the parties may resolve the dispute through mediation.
In this process, an independent third party, called a mediator—usually a retired lawyer or judge—with no financial interest in the case, will try to help the two parties reach a resolution.
If the case is not settled during mediation, the amounts offered by both sides remain confidential, and none of the information will be shared with a jury if the case proceeds to trial.
While the time it takes to resolve Jones Act cases varies, the most important part of all Jones Act cases is the need for injured seamen and families of maritime workers killed at sea to take action as soon as possible.
In addition to the statute of limitations for victims, a negligent employer may take actions that can negatively affect any Jones Act claims, from its investigation of the accident, hiring investigators, and taking statements from crew members and witnesses, to hiring doctors to examine the injured seaman.
Latti Associates LLC understands the dramatic ways in which maritime injuries affect not just the lives of workers, but entire families.
We work tirelessly to secure the maximum possible compensation our clients need and deserve, and our Boston firm has obtained several multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients under the Jones Act.
Latti Associates LLC has also arrived at several successful resolutions through mediation, including a $2.5 million settlement this past September for an individual who sustained numerous injuries after being electrocuted while on board a vessel.
You can find more information about the Jones Act on our website.
If you or a loved one sustained any type of maritime injuries in a boating accident, fill out the form on this page to let our Boston Jones Act lawyers review your case or contact our firm today at (617) 523-1000 to take advantage of a free initial consultation.