High Court Grants Petition, Will Revisit 'Specific Orders Doctrine'

The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could provide more clarification on the applicability of a doctrine that allows injured maritime workers to avoid having their Jones Act awards reduced by their own negligence.The high court granted review to the case of King Fisher Marine Service v. Tamez on Friday, which will require analysis of the Jones Act's "specific orders doctrine." The doctrine arises when an injured maritime worker files a personal injury suit under the Jones Act and the worker's own negligence played a role in causing their injury. In a standard negligen...