Termination of Maritime Worker While at Sea Didn't End His Status as 'Seaman'

A Texas appellate court revived a worker's Jones Act claims against his former employer, finding the employer's act of firing him while he was at sea did not change the fact that he was a "seaman" covered by the act. Case: Cepeda v. Orion Marine Construction, No. 01-15-00504-CV, 07/14/2016, published. Facts: Inocente Cepeda had worked for Orion Marine Construction as the captain of a dredge. His dredge was operating in the Houston Ship Channel when his supervisor came aboard and fired him. Cepeda then gathered his personal belongings and boarded a skiff, which h...