Jones Act Exposure
The Jones Act provides employee benefits to masters and members of a US-flagged vessel. To understand if your business needs Jones Act Exposure Insurance, you need to understand two important distinctions.
The first is "What is a flagged-vessel?" For our purpose, a flagged-vessel is any operational watercraft used in the course of your business. Once under its own power in navigable waters, the seamen aboard must be covered by the Jones Act.
The second distinction is "What qualifies as a seaman?" The Supreme Court decision for CHANDRIS, INC. v. LATSIS provides essential requirements for seaman status, that include the employees duties aboard, the duration and nature of the work, and duration of the worker's connection to the vessel.