Maritime Injury Blog Bellingham

How a Maritime Products Liability Lawyer Can Help with Injuries Caused by Unsafe or Defective Products

While Sinking Vessels Are Rare, Risk of Maritime Drowning Is High

President of The UFA Outlines How to Keep Alaska Fishing Crews Safe During Pandemic

The 2020 Alaska salmon season is approaching and that means that soon salmon fishermen will be heading up to Alaska to do their work. But, the president of the United Fisherman of Alaska (UFA) wants to make clear that this coming season will not be “business as usual” and that vessel operators must adhere to a “high standard of caution and personal responsibility” in order to keep their crews safe. The State of Alaska has announced Health Mandate 17, which mandates that independent commercial fishing vessels implement protective measures and requires operators to sign an Agreement Form (Appendix 02). Vessel operators are responsible for their crew’s compliance with the mandate and in general, are responsible to provide a safe working environment with reasonable safety precautions and a clean and healthy place to work.

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Protecting Commercial Fishermen from Preventable Diseases

Seamen take on a very high risk of injury compared to workers in many other industries. Hazards specific to the job create certain common types of accidents among maritime workers. One of the potential hazards in a fishing vessel is the spread of communicable diseases because of poor hygiene or an unsanitary environment. These medical emergencies can be avoided with “medical survival skills”.

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Three Crew Members Rescued from Overturned Crab Boat

According to an article on Nationalfisherman.com, three crew members were caught underneath a crab boat on Tuesday night, January 14^th. Firefighters came to the rescue by cutting through the hull of the overturned boat at the entrance to Coos Bay, Oregon. The rescue efforts began after a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew saw the 38-foot crabbing boat struggling to navigate in heavy seas, before its deck lights went dark. The aircrew radio messaged the Sector North Bend command center and rescue crews were dispatched to locate the crew. Three hours later, the boat was found upside down near the tip of the north jetty at the bay entrance. Rescuers could hear the crew yelling from inside the boat. After using a battery-powered reciprocating saw to hack through the hull, firefighters helped the crew out and up the jetty rocks. According to North Bay Fire District Chief James Aldrich, all three men were rescued in stable condition and transported to the hospital.

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Vessel Sinking Accident in Alaska Leaves Five Missing After Search

Commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States, with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average worker fatality rate. Data from CDC.gov confirms this. The NIOSH Western States Division (WSD) office in Alaska has been studying fishing safety since 1991 in an effort to reduce the number of commercial injuries and fatalities. The CDC has identified the biggest risks to fishermen as vessel disasters, falls overboard and machinery on deck.

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In 2018 Study Nearly 50% of Marine Accidents Involved Commercial Fishing Boats

According to data on CDC.gov, commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States, with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average worker fatality rate. The NIOSH Western States Division (WSD) office in Alaska has been studying fishing safety since 1991 in an effort to reduce the number of commercial injuries and fatalities. The CDC has found that the biggest risks to fishermen are vessel disasters, falls overboard and machinery on deck.

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Commercial Fisherman – Stay Safe with Commercial Fishing Boat Safety Tips

With a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average, commercial fishermen face danger on the job every day; especially those who work in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Despite the statistics, industry safety experts say that there are ways to reduce serious and fatal commercial fishing boat accidents with common sense safety measures.

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Can I Sue for Maritime Assault Injuries?

While seamen accept a certain level of risk when they take jobs at sea, they are still entitled to a reasonably safe work environment. Employers owe a duty of care to their employees and that includes the right to be protected from a maritime assault injury. Far too often, seamen and other maritime workers are the victims of physical or sexual assault. Making matters worse, attacks often go unreported because victims don’t know their legal rights. While it can be a challenge to prosecute an attack that happened on seas outside of U.S. jurisdiction, know that general maritime law and the Jones Act do protect seamen and other individuals who are victims of physical and/or sexual assault.

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Who is Entitled to Bring a Wrongful Death Action Under the Jones Act?

Seamen and other maritime crew take on considerable risks in their job. In the tragic event of a wrongful death there are protections provided under the Jones Act. The person considered the personal representative of a seaman / crew member who died on shore or within three nautical miles from shore, may bring a wrongful death claim under the Jones Act. This representative is typically representing the surviving widow or husband and children. In the absence of these relationships then the employee’s parents, siblings, or others dependent on the seaman may be represented.

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