Maritime Injury Law Blog

A crewman suffered a head injury on Tuesday and was airlifted from a fishing vessel 50 miles off the Oregon Coast. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time. Two Coast Guard helicopters responded to the emergency. The crewman was taken to North Bend for treatment. Commercial fishermen working in Oregon and Washington continue to suffer injuries at an alarming rate. Every vessel owner owes their crewmen a safe place to work and a seaworthy vessel. In cases of serious injuries, crewmen must be evacuated for treatment as soon as possible. This is particularly true in head injury cases, where the extent of crewmen’s injuries may not be readily apparent, and complications can have delayed onset.

A crewman working aboard the fishing vessel RONDYS suffered a head injury requiring emergency medical evacuation today. The accident happened 160 miles off shore from Westport. The fishing vessel RONDYS is a 113-foot steel hulled vessel built in 1993; records indicate the vessel is owned by Rondys Tendering LLC of Westport. The crewman was airlifted to Emanuel Hospital in Portland for treatment, and his condition is unknown. What caused the accident is unknown at this time.

A 61 year old crewman was evacuated from the 88-foot scallop boat EILEEN MARIE on Saturday. The crewman reportedly had been hit on the head by a scallop dredge and was barely responsive. The accident happened 50 miles off the coast of Cape May. The Eileen Marie is home ported in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Coast Guard airlifted the crewman for emergency medical treatment at AtlaniCare Regional Hospital in Atlantic City for treatment. The cause of the accident is unknown.

Beard Stacey & Jacobsen is one of the nation’s leading maritime injury firms. A Boston jury returned a two million dollar verdict for their client last year in a case involving a New England scallop boat. Crewmen working on scallop boats are at high risk for injuries, given the nature of the dredging operation and deck work.

The clam dredge ESS PURSUIT has been ordered to return to port, and its catch isolated, after they discovered 10 mystery containers today while working in Hudson Canyon. One container broke open and exposed two crewmen to the contents. They subsequently developed blisters and difficulty breathing. The crewmen were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment. The catch from the vessel has been isolated to determine if it was contaminated, and the vessel is being surveyed to see if it needs to be decontaminated. The Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Services are investigating the incident.

The Coast Guard has airlifted an injured crewman from a Lake Charles Pilot boat approximately 10 miles south of Sabine Pass. The crewman had fallen overboard from the offshore supply vessel, Miss Mia, and had been rescued by the pilot boat. The injured crewman was airlifted by a Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter and transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas for treatment. Facts related to the cause of the accident are unknown at this time, as is the condition of the rescued crewman.

Late Friday night three tribal fishermen died when their small fishing vessel capsized on the Columbia River near Wisham, Washington. One man survived the accident. The fishermen were part of the Yakima tribe and were participating in a commercial gill netting season for spring run Chinook salmon. The surviving fisherman was able to swim to shore. None of the crewmen were wearing personal flotation devices. The circumstances of how the accident happened are unclear. Winds were reported to be blowing 30 miles an hour at the time of the accident. Another tribal fishing boat reportedly sank on Thursday, but those fishermen luckily escaped injury.

A fisherman from the 88-foot fishing vessel KAYLA ROSE has been airlifted for medical treatment. The fisherman reportedly injured his arm and was slipping in and out of consciousness, and the crew of the vessel called the Coast Guard for emergency evacuation. The man was taken to Atlantic Regional Medical Center in New Jersey for treatment of his injuries. The circumstances of how the fisherman was injured are unknown at this time.

Saturday, a tank barge reportedly exploded at the LBC tank Terminals near Sunshine, Louisiana. Early investigation indicates the barge was loading benzene at the time of the accident. The Iberville Parish Fire department responded to the explosion and was able to bring the fire under control. Two workers were stated to have been injured in the explosion; the extent of injuries are unknown. The Coast Guard will be investigating the cause of the explosion. Water traffic remains open on the river.

The exact number of workers missing after an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico remains uncertain. As many as 15 workers were missing after the oil rig exploded 52 miles off the Louisiana Coast. Hope remains that the missing crewmen may be in a life raft. A number of crewmen were critically injured and transported to Baton Rouge for treatment of burn injuries. The oil platform that remains leaning and burning is reportedly owned by Transocean and is being leased to BP.

Crewmen on many oil rigs and oil platforms are covered by Federal Maritime law. Investigation into this tragic accident will be extensive.

The Coast Guard has airlifted an injured fisherman from the fishing vessel Neves. The vessel was 115 miles east of Nantucket when it radioed needing medical help for an injured crewman. No details of the accident have been provided. The crewman was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital for emergency medical care.

A worker at Trident Seafoods' fish processing plant in Akutan has been medically evacuated to Anchorage after suffering second and third degree burns to his face. The accident reportedly happened when a paint can exploded in an incinerator.

A fish processor cleaning machinery aboard the Alaska factory trawler Ocean Peace was seriously injured on Tuesday. Joemar Lontoc was airlifted from the vessel by a Coast Guard helicopter, and he has been transferred to Anchorage for emergency medical care. The accident happened 100 miles west of Adak Island.

Serious injury accidents involving fish processing equipment occur too frequently aboard Alaska Factory trawlers. Crewmen must be properly trained and supervised in safely operating such equipment. The Fishing Vessel Safety Act requires most fish processing equipment to be properly guarded to prevent hands and feet from getting into blades, augers, and shafts. Failure to properly guard fish processing equipment may render a vessel unseaworthy. Lock out tag out procedures should be followed by crewmen when the fish processing equipment is being cleaned and repaired. Crewmen injured as result of improperly guarded machinery, defective equipment, improper training, or negligence of a fellow crewman have claims under the Jones Act and the general maritime law.

A crewman working aboard a the fishing boat GOLDEN ALASKA has been airlifted from the vessel by the United States Coast Guard. The sixty year old crewman was complaining of severe abdominal pain and was taken to St. George Island with plans to transfer him to Anchorage for further evaluation and a treatment.

In cases of medical emergencies aboard ships at sea, the United States Coast Guard can be contacted for medical advice via ship to shore communications. There are also numerous private medical firms that are available to provide ship to shore medical advice for treatment of injured crewmen. While getting an injured or ill crewman to shore for treatment may cost time and money, delays in obtaining medical treatment may have severe consequences. In serious cases, a crewman may need to be airlifted from the vessel. Fishing vessels in Alaska operating long distances from the nearest medical facilities must be well prepared to handle medical emergencies and have plans for medical evacuation of crewmen needing medical treatment. Most vessels have sophisticated medical supplies aboard and large processors and catcher processors will have nurses or emergency medical technicians aboard to provide initial medical assessments of crewmen.

A crewman from the 792 foot containership CAP GILBERT has been reported as having fallen overboard and is missing 450 miles south of Adak Island, Alaska. The Liberian flagged CAP GILBERT was enroute from China to Mexico when the crewman fell into seas estimated at 20 feet. The vessel contacted the United States Coast Guard to assist in the search for the missing 26 year old crewman from Burma. The Coast Guard search has been suspended after searching nearly 900 square miles with no sign of the missing crewman.

On December 21, 2009, a 740 foot Indian flagged freighter, SURYAVIR, has lost power and is battling high winds and seas 540 miles southwest of Alaska’s Adak Island. The vessel has 28 crewmen on board and is currently handling 20-30 foot seas and 50 mile an hour winds. There are no current plans to abandon the ship which has been in continuos contact with the United States Coast Guard. The Maersk ALTAIR is in route to the disabled vessel to provide assistance if necessary, a commercial tug has also been dispatched and is scheduled to reach the vessel on Tuesday. The SURYVAIR was in route from China to the Columbia river and is reported to be carrying no cargo.

A 20 year old crab fisherman has been reported as lost overboard from the F/V VICIOUS FISHER 20 miles west of La Push, Washington. The crewman was wearing rain gear and no life jacket or flotation device. The Coast Guard is conducting a search for the missing fisherman. The VICIOUS FISHER is home ported in Bellingham, Washington.

This is the second crab fisherman lost overboard in Washington in three weeks. In the first week of December, a crewman was lost from the F/V BALLAD. The commercial crab fishery in Washington and Oregon remains the most deadly fishery on the west coast. Few safety regulations apply to uninspected commercial fishing vessels involved in the Washington and Oregon crab fisheries.

The families of crewmen lost in fishing accidents have rights under Federal Maritime laws including the Jones Act and the Death On the High Seas Act.

Working as a crewman aboard a ship, tug, barge or fishing vessel, constantly exposes crewman to the risk of injuries to their hands, feet, arms and legs. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a frequent complication of those hand, feet, arm, and leg injuries that requires early diagnosis and treatment to maximize recovery. There is no prevention for CRPS and early diagnosis and treatment is key to slowing the progression of what may develop into a chronic pain that renders a maritime worker disabled.

CRPS is a chronic pain condition. It is a neurological disorder that affects the central and peripheral nervous systems. Statics show that CRPS may develop in 1 to15 percent of injuries to the peripheral nerves and in 10 to 30 percent of injuries involving fractures. Although the exact physiological mechanism of CRPS is still under investigation, CRPS is clearly related to trauma. Even a minor injury can trigger Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

CRPS, which is also referred to as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), can be severely disabling, causing constant intense burning pain in one or more extremities. Pain and swelling in the affected limb may spread. CRPS victims have cold sensitivity and develop stiff muscles and joints that may result in contractions and muscle wasting. In the late stages of CRPS, depression and mood changes are frequently present, bone scans may show diffuse demineralization of the bones and osteoporosis in the affected hand, foot, arm, or leg.

Treatments for CRPS include injections and nerve blocks that numb the affected nerves or pain fibers. Internal pain pumps may be prescribed that deliver medications directly into the spinal cord. Spinal cord simulators may also be utilized along with bio feed back as part of the patient’s therapy. In severe and chronic cases, surgery sympathectomy may be performed to attempt to cut the nerves to the affected area.

Early medical literature suggested that patients with CRPS had a predisposing personality factor. However, current medical literature disproves that CRPS requires a preexisting personality disorder, and instead supports that the severity of pain and disability associated with CRPS can lead to depression and anxiety disorders.

Injured seamen and fishermen who have suffered injuries to their hands, feet, arms or legs should be carefully watched for potential signs of development of CRPS. If following a traumatic injury, you develop symptoms of constant burning pain in an arm, leg, hand or foot, contact your doctor for follow up and carefully explain your symptoms. CRPS can develop as a complication of surgery for broken bones and is a risk factor of carpel tunnel releases.

The maritime injury lawyers at Beard Stacey & Jacobsen have handled Jones Act injury claims for injured seaman suffering from CRPS. Injuries involving CRPS frequently leave an injured fisherman or seaman unable to return to their prior employment. Getting seaman expert medical care for CRPS injuries is vital. Pain clinic treatment is frequently needed and the seaman’s employer in almost all cases is obligated to pay for all the injured seaman’s reasonable and necessary medical bills. If the underlying injury that caused the CRPS to develop was the result of negligence or unseaworthiness, the seaman may be entitled to damages for past and future pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, lost wages, lost wage earning capacity, future medical expenses and more. If you have questions about your rights compensation for a maritime injury involving CRPS contact Beard Stacey & Jacobsen for a free initial consultation.

On August 30, 2009, the Coast Guard reported that it received a call that the 47 foot fishing vessel DA OPAILOLO II was towing a pleasure craft when the tow line became caught in the propeller.

The DA OPAILOLO II rescued two people aboard the pleasure craft MY ESCAPE that had capsized. The two crewmembers were found clinging to the hull when they were taken aboard the DA OPAILOLO II. The DA OPAILOLO II only made it 12 miles before the tow line became tangled in the propeller. The Coast Guard patrol boat, AHI, towed the DA OPAILOLO II the remainder of the way and the partially submerged MY ESCAPE was abandoned.

On August 30, 2009, the Coast Guard reported that it received a distress call from the fishing vessel the DIANE LYNN II, a 65 foot dragger, when it began taking on water off the coast of Maine. The vessel was on its way to offload its catch when it began taking on water, however the dewatering pumps couldn’t keep up.

The Coast Guard arrived on scene approximately an hour later and helped secure the source of the flooding. The vessel was able to sail to the Harbor with a Coast Guard escort where it offloaded its catch before undergoing repairs.

The Coast Guard unit in New Orleans has reported that on August 9, 2009, it received a report that two fishermen were missing by Hopedale, Louisiana. Because of weather, the Coast Guard could not begin a search until Monday morning. A MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter was launched and located the missing boaters who were then guided by spotlight and radio to familiar waters.

On Monday, August 10, 2009, the Coast Guard reported that it received a call at 4:30 a.m. that a boat had capsized and one of the three men who were in the boat was missing. The Coast Guard unit in New Orleans immediately launched a search team to assist with local law enforcement. According to the Coast Guard, the man was located approximately 150 feet from shore. The 40 year old man was rescued by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and was hoisted into a MH-65C Dolphin Helicopter where he was then transferred to Emergency Medical Services and taken to a local hospital. The Court Guard states his condition is unknown.

The law office of Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen, LLP urges all mariners to use extreme caution when boating at night and to wear all proper safety equipment, especially life jackets. The maritime lawyers at BSTJ, LLP represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at www.atsealawyer.com.

The bodies of two swimmers, a 57-year old male and his 13 year-old nephew, have been recovered from Lake St. Clair near Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday. Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel reported that the two had jumped into the water to go swimming with a 31-year old relative. Their pontoon boat, however, drifted away a significant distance with a 73-year old woman aboard. Rescue crews were able to rescue the 31-year old male, however were unable to locate either the 57-year old or the 13-year old. Hackel did not specify whether they were wearing life jackets.
The law office of Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen, LLP strongly urges all those on a boat, whether professionally or for pleasure, to wear the proper safety equipment. This equipment will help save your life should an accident such as this occur. The maritime lawyers at BSTJ, LLP represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

The United States Coast Guard airlifted a fisherman who sustained a bad cut on a fishing vessel off the coast of Beach Haven, New Jersey on Sunday. The injured fisherman is a 22-year-old mariner who was working aboard the Captain Bob, which was operating 110 miles east of Beach Haven, when the injury was sustained. Both the individual’s name and the cause of injury have not been reported, however the fisherman did sustain a long serious cut below his elbow across the width of his arm. The individual was airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

A Good Samaritan vessel rushed to the aid of a scallop vessel whose engine room had caught fire outside Barnegat early Sunday morning. The troubled vessel, an 80-foot vessel named The Captain OJ Riggs, was harvesting scallops when an engine fire caused all three onboard to deploy a life raft. One of the crew broadcasted a mayday call just before 3:25 a.m. Sunday. Luckily, a nearby vessel named Miss Peaches relayed the message to the United States Coast Guard before traveling to the vessel’s coordinates. The individuals onboard the Captain OJ Riggs were rescued and later transported to a Coast Guard Station Manasquan. No injuries were reported. The Captain OJ Riggs later split apart and sank around 11 a.m. that day.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

The United States Coast Guard successfully medevaced a mariner whose finger was severely injured this past weekend. 50-year old John Engelbrecht from Bainbridge Island, Washington was working on a diesel engine when his right index finger got caught in one of the gears, crushing and partially severing the finger. Engelbrecht was working aboard the motor vessel Horizon Anchorage, a 678-foot freighter homeported in Philadelphia. Engelbrecht was medevaced by the Coast Guard to Juneau, where local emergency medical services were waiting to take the injured mariner to a hospital for further care.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

The United States Coast Guard assisted five people on board a sinking 35-foot Berthum commercial fishing vessel 30 miles southeast of Port Aransas on Wednesday. A distress call came in at 4:18 p.m. that a vessel was taking on water and needed immediate assistance. The Coast Guard immediately dispatched a helicopter crew and 45-foot rescue boat to the scene. The helicopter crew arrived to find a Good Samaritan vessel assisting the crew bailing water overboard with buckets. The helicopter lowered a dewatering pump to the vessel, allowing it to remain afloat until the rescue boat arrived. Upon arriving at the scene, the Coast Guard rescue boat found a hole that was two inches in diameter in the floor of the engine room. The rescue crew patched up the vessel and escorted it back to port. No injuries were reported.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

The United States Coast Guard and a Good Samaritan vessel responded to a distress call from a sinking ship three miles off the coast of Jacksonville on Friday. The distress call was made by the two fishermen aboard the Yvonne, a 66-foot fishing boat, at approximately 2:06 a.m. The Coast Guard was immediately dispatched where, with the help of the Good Samaritan vessel Shenandoah, both individuals aboard the vessel were safely rescued. The mariners aboard the Yvonne were transported to local medical personnel once they arrived back to land.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

The United States Coast Guard rescued two Canadians from the Detroit River after the three-person kayak had capsized. The capsizing occurred approximately one mile from Belle Isle, Michigan around 6:15 Thursday July 16th. The Coast Guard arrived on the scene within minutes of receiving the distress call to find a Good Samaritan rescuing the third individual aboard the kayak. The Coast Guard boat crew brought the two remaining individuals onboard. The three were taken to a nearby marina before being transferred to emergency medical services. No injuries were reported. Luckily, all three were wearing life jackets.
The law office of Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen, LLP would like to urge all those on water, either for work or pleasure, to wear a life jacket. The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

A Washington skipper has died resulting from injuries sustained aboard a fishing vessel last week. The vessel was fishing 15 miles west of Gray’s Harbor when the captain, 50-year-old Keenan Stearns of South Bend, Washington, became entangled in fishing gear. The crew was not able to free him. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries later that day. Stearns was the skipper for the 73-foot commercial fishing vessel called “Swell Rider.”
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

A Vermont woman is dead after falling out of her canoe while fishing on Sunday. 41-year-old Kelly Bruner fell out of her canoe while trying to retrieve a fishing pole she dropped in the water. Her friend in the boat, Ken Palmer, attempted to bring her back aboard the canoe by throwing her flotation devices and telling her to grab onto the oars, however was unsuccessful. Bruner then became tangled in the fishing line and was unable to get back into the canoe. She was found dead in the river later that day.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

One boater was killed following an allision between a 23 foot pleasure vessel and the Jekyll Creek jetties around Brunswick, Georgia early Sunday morning. The United States Coast Guard responded to a distress call at 4:15 a.m. Sunday morning and helped rescue two of the boaters on board the vessel. A Good Samaritan in the area rescued a third boater who was clinging to the sinking vessel. The identities of the deceased and injured have not been released following proper notification of family members.
The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reports that two men died and one injured when their vessel hit a bridge during high tide on Huntington Harbor. The Sheriff’s Office said that alcohol was a factor in the accident. The report claims that these three men needed to duck to avoid striking the bridge on the 12-foot inflatable Zodiac boat, however failed to do so. The two men who died were rendered unconscious from their collision and were thrown into the water where they drowned. The individual who survived also suffered head injuries. He was taken to UCI Medical Center and treated. Investigators found empty beer cans in the boat and later learned the three individuals had been drinking in a local bar before their boarded the boat.
The law office of Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen would like to urge all professional and leisure boaters to avoid operating a vessel after consuming alcohol. The maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb and Jacobsen represent injured mariners throughout the nation in claims involving the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. For any questions regarding maritime law or injuries sustained while working aboard a vessel, contact us at 206.282.3100 or visit our website at atsealawyer.com.