Pre-settlement funding for Jones Act maritime claims.
Federal maritime law claims for seamen, offshore workers, and maritime employees injured in the course of their employment. How pre-settlement funding works for qualified maritime plaintiffs.
Non-recourse funding is repaid only from a settlement or award. Independent capital providers set the terms.
Bills do not wait for your case.
Rent, medical bills and living costs keep arriving while a case moves through the court. An advance against a pending case can cover them and is repaid only if the case produces a recovery.
How Jones Act maritime cases are reviewed
The Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104) provides a federal negligence remedy for seamen injured in the course of their employment on vessels in navigable waters. Unlike workers' compensation, the Jones Act requires proving employer negligence — but allows recovery for pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical expenses. Maritime plaintiffs are also entitled to maintenance and cure regardless of fault, and may have additional unseaworthiness claims under general maritime law.
What makes a qualifying case
Not every claim is a fit for funding. These are the factors our review weighs most heavily for this case type. Meeting them does not guarantee that a provider will fund.
Requirement 1
Confirmed or strongly supported seaman status, claim with retained counsel
Requirement 2
Documented work injury and a negligence or unseaworthiness theory
Requirement 3
Solvent or insured vessel owner or maritime employer
How terms are set
Rates and terms are set by the capital provider and written in the provider’s agreement before signing.
How the process works for Jones Act maritime claims
- STEP 1ApplySubmit your case details including vessel name, employer, injury description, and attorney information.
- STEP 2DocumentationYour attorney coordinates maintenance and cure records, medical documentation, and the liability theory.
- STEP 3Provider decisionIndependent capital providers review the file, decide whether to fund and set their own terms. Criterica Capital does not make the funding decision.
- STEP 4Provider agreementIf a provider funds the case, the provider's agreement states how and when funds are paid.
How we underwrite this case type
Jones Act underwriting first confirms seaman status under the governing two-part test, then evaluates the negligence and unseaworthiness theories against the documented injury. We account for maintenance-and-cure benefits, which run in parallel and do not affect fundability, and model expected recovery — including pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical costs — against outcome data for comparable maritime claims.
Jones Act and maritime claims commonly resolve within 18 to 36 months depending on the contested issues and the severity of injury.
Jones Act & Maritime Funding: common questions
Courts apply a two-part test: (1) the vessel must be in navigation, and (2) the worker must contribute to the work of the vessel and have a substantial connection to the vessel in duration and nature. Offshore platform workers may or may not qualify depending on the specific facts. Your attorney can assess seaman status.
Yes. Maintenance and cure payments do not affect your eligibility for a pre-settlement advance against your Jones Act negligence or unseaworthiness claim. The two are separate remedies.
Request funding for your case.
Pre-settlement funding is a non-recourse purchase of a portion of the proceeds of a pending legal claim — not a loan. If the case does not result in a recovery, nothing is owed. Rates, fees, and repayment terms are disclosed in full in the funding agreement, which the applicant’s attorney reviews before signing. Availability and terms vary by state.