If you are hurt while working on a vessel, maintenance and cure may provide important support while you recover. This maritime law protection is different from workers’ compensation and may be available to eligible seamen who become injured or ill in the employment aboard a vessel.
What maintenance and cure covers
Knowing your rights early on can make a significant difference in securing the assistance you need. Maintenance and cure generally includes:
- Maintenance: Financial assistance for essential living costs, including housing and meals
- Cure: Coverage for essential and reasonable medical care associated with the injury or illness
- Wages: In some cases, a seaman may have separate wage rights during recovery
These benefits may apply even if the injury happened away from the vessel, as long as the seaman was performing work connected to the vessel.
How long benefits last
Typically, maintenance and cure benefits remain available until an injured worker achieves maximum medical recovery. That means the condition has stabilized and more treatment is not expected to bring significant improvement.
An employer or vessel owner should not end benefits just because treatment is taking longer than expected. Disputes often arise over whether the seaman has attained maximum medical recovery or whether treatment is still required.
Other legal claims may apply
Maintenance and cure is not always the only remedy. If employer negligence helped cause the injury, the seaman may also have a claim under the Jones Act. If the vessel or its equipment was unseaworthy, a claim based on unseaworthiness may also be available. These claims have different legal requirements, so it is important to review the facts carefully.
Why early action matters
Medical records, witness statements and other documents can help support a maintenance and cure claim. Keeping track of treatment, bills and correspondence may also be helpful if benefits are delayed or denied. If a vessel owner or insurer refuses to pay, questions the treatment or says recovery has ended, early review of the claim may help protect the worker’s rights.
Maintenance and cure can provide valuable medical and financial support after a maritime injury or illness. Understanding when the benefit applies, how long it lasts and whether other claims may exist can help injured seamen make informed decisions about next steps.
