May 11, 2021
The full Fifth Circuit declared Tuesday that a welder alleging he was injured while working on a drilling rig can't sue under the Jones Act, walking back an earlier circuit ruling in which a panel said it was precedent-bound to determine that the man qualified as a seaman.
January 20, 2021
An offshore welder's employer urged the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday to revise its test used to determine whether an employee can sue under the Jones Act to clarify that the statute only applies to those involved in helping vessels travel between ports, arguing the welder doesn't qualify as a seaman.
November 02, 2020
The Fifth Circuit has ordered an en banc rehearing of an injury case in which a drilling rig welder was allowed to sue under the Jones Act, which regulates maritime commerce in the U.S., after a panel said in August that it was precedent-bound to reach the determination that the rig welder is a seaman.
August 14, 2020
The Fifth Circuit declared Friday that a welder alleging he was injured while working on a drilling rig can sue under the Jones Act, but it noted it's bound by precedent to reach the determination that might be "inconsistent with the teaching" of the U.S. Supreme Court.