Plaintiff, a Honduran citizen, injured his back while working as a mason aboard a Carnival vessel.  The injury required surgery and eventually led to “serious orthopedic and neurological problems, including numbness in both legs, difficulty urinating, need for a catheter, sexual dysfunction, and psychological problems.”  Plaintiff worked for employer under a Seafarer Agreement.  The Agreement included an arbitration clause requiring the arbitration of all disputes (except wage disputes).  After his injury, Plaintiff asserted claims of Jones Act negligence, unseaworthiness, and failure to provide adequate maintenance and cure.  Acting on a motion to compel arbitration filed by the Defendant, the district court “granted the motion, dismissed as moot all other pending motions, and closed the case for administrative purposes.” Plaintiff appealed to the Eleventh Circuit, which was called upon to answer a jurisdiction question and a substantive question.  First, the court addressed the jurisdiction question, which addressed whether the Eleventh CircuitRead more