What are the “damages” under the Jones Act?
Generally, “damages” are the losses suffered by an employee who is injured, or by his family when he or she is killed. The following are typical of damages that are recoverable: Medical Expenses – These include doctor and hospital bills, surgery costs, future medical costs and everything for your treatment; Lost Wages – This includes all money that you lost because you could not return to work or earn the same; Loss of Future Earning Capacity – This is an important aspect of your damages. This means you are compensated for what you could have earned had you never been injured. For example, if you now are a deckhand, but think you can be a tankerman, you can receive compensation at a tankermans rate of pay; Pain and Suffering – These damages are called general damages and include the physical discomfort, mental anguish and emotional distress associated with being injured.
