BENNETT, M.D. v. CITY OF NEWARK

**Court Rules Against Worker in Maritime Injury Case** Dr. Bennett sued the City of Newark claiming discrimination in an employment dispute. However, the case also involved maritime law issues under something called the Jones Act, which provides special protections for certain maritime workers. The court ruled in favor of the City of Newark. Most importantly, the judge threw out Bennett's claims under the Jones Act because Bennett couldn't prove he had a strong enough connection to working on ships or vessels. The Jones Act only protects workers who spend a significant portion of their time working on vessels in navigation, and the court found Bennett didn't meet this requirement. **What this means for workers:** This case highlights how specific maritime employment laws can be. If you work around ships, ports, or maritime facilities, you may think you're covered by special maritime worker protections, but the law requires you to actually work substantially on vessels themselves. Simply working for a maritime company or at a port facility may not be enough to qualify for Jones Act protections. Workers in maritime-related jobs should understand exactly what type of work qualifies them for these special legal protections before assuming they're covered.