Am I entitled to maintenance and cure if I became ill while working on a trawler?

The principle of maintenance and cure is one of the central aspects of general maritime law and is part of the United States admiralty law. According to this principle, a vessel owner has the duty to pay for your living expenses, such as food, rent, electricity, phone and transportation, and for your medical treatment until you reach maximum medical improvement. There is no need to prove the ship owner was at fault in order to receive these benefits.

The obligation to "cure" simply means that the shipowner is required to pay for medical expenses at no cost to the seaman injured while in service to the ship. Maximum medical cure is the point at which the employer needs to provide medical treatment which improve his functioning ability, which is going further than just providing medical attention until he has healed. The language of "maintenance" is what binds the shipowner to provide his offshore employee with the means to live while he is rehabilitating. Once the worker has improved, he can maintain himself again and no longer needs his employer's maintenance.

If you became sick while working on a trawler, and your illness is a direct result of your service to your employer while on the ship, you may be entitled to maintenance and cure benefits. As a fisherman or someone who works on a commercial fishing vessel, such as a trawler, you are entitled to the benefits provided under maritime law. Fishermen have a dangerous job, and can often be injured or become ill while working on their vessel. If there is any question whether or not your case is serious enough to receive maintenance and cure benefits, it would be best to consult a trusted maritime attorney.