River workers who work on towboats and barges are at high risk for serious injury or illness while on-the-job. An injured worker may can receive maintenance and cure benefits from their employer, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. These benefits can provide injured seamen with financial support as they focus on their physical and emotional recovery until they reach MMI, or maximum medical improvement. If a worker has reached their MMI point, it means that doctors do not think their medical condition will get any better.
Maintenance: Payment of room and board
Generally, employers are obligated to cover room and board for healthy seamen working on a ship. Maintenance is intended to cover the room and board of an seaman with river work injuries while they are recovering at home. Maintenance only covers basic living expenses, such as mortgage, utilities, and food, but will not cover cable, internet, or other extras.
Cure: Payment of medical expenses
Cure refers to the medical expenses an employer will cover if a river worker is injured on-the-job. Cure will also cover transportation expenses to get workers to and from their medical appointments.
Some employers do not want to give their maritime workers benefits any longer than they absolutely have to and may push you to return to work by insisting that you have reached MMI even when are still treatments available to improve your condition. Some employers will go as far as to refuse to provide maintenance and cure altogether, in violation of maritime law. A maritime lawyer in your area can help ensure that you get the benefits you are entitled to and that your maintenance and cure benefits are not cut off too soon.
