Passengers Told to “Brace for Impact” in Staten Island Ferry Accident

Ferry operators told passengers to “brace for impact” when a Staten Island ferry collided into a Whitehall terminal dock in lower Manhattan on November 14. According to transportation department authorities, a “power disruption” may have caused the crash. Passengers on board said that the ferry collided with the dock hard and that operators “told everybody…

Read More

Seaman Sues Shipping Company after Barge Accident

A New Orleans seaman is suing his employer after being injured in a barge accident. According to the lawsuit, the vessel worker was on board the M/V Jean Laffitte when a collision occurred between the vessel and a barge, allegedly as a result of the ship captain’s negligence. The plaintiff suffered severe injuries to his…

Read More

Our Nationwide Maritime Trial Lawyers Help Those Injured in Ferry Accidents

A recent ferry accident in Sydney, Australia injured eight people on October 7, reminding us that ferries have a high potential for collisions when waters are rough. The vessel operating in Sydney hit a support structure at Wharf 5 off the Paramatta River, injuring eight people including two adults and a child that suffered from…

Read More

No-Boating Zones Established on the Hudson River

The U.S. Coast Guard has established no-boating zones on the Hudson River due to construction on the Tappan Zee Bridge, where an accident that killed two people and injured three others occurred in July. However, the area where boats will no longer be allowed does not include the actual area where the accident occurred. On…

Read More

US Representative’s Husband Suffers Head Injury in Maine Boating Accident

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree’s husband suffered significant brain trauma during a boating accident in Portland Harbor. The couple and four others were riding a water taxi back from a wedding earlier this month when the taxi collided with a powerboat near Fort Gorges. Pingree’s husband was rushed to the Maine Medical Center and two others…

Read More

Liberty Island Ferry Accident Injures Eight

Eight people suffered injuries last month when a ferry struck a pier on its way to Liberty Island, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The ferry was carrying passengers to see the Statue of Liberty when it collided with the pier, causing injuries to eight people aboard. Those injured were treated at the scene. The…

Read More

Utility Company Sued for Lake of the Ozarks Electrocution Incident

The mother of two St. Louis children that were electrocuted and killed last Fourth of July at Lake of the Ozarks is suing Union Electric Company for wrongful death. The children, an eight-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, died while swimming at their family’s vacation home after being electrocuted due to a short circuit shock. The…

Read More

Exploding Barges Severely Injure Three, Evacuates Nearby Cruise Ship

Explosions on two Alabama fuel barges caused a huge fire and multiple injuries this April. According to Fox News, the U.S. Coast Guard stated the cause of the fire was most likely a spark that occurred during the barges’ cleaning. The fire began after the explosions on Wednesday night, April 24, and burned until it…

Read More

Choosing a Maritime Attorney

Choosing a Maritime Attorney If you find yourself dealing with an attorney death during an ongoing maritime lawsuit, you have an important decision to make: who will represent you going forward? Although your previous attorney’s estate may work out a deal with another lawyer or firm, you have the right to choose who will represent…

Read More

M/V Matisse Crewmember Lost at Sea

The U.S. Coast Guard received a call on April 21 around 12:50 a.m. that a crewmember aboard the M/V MATISSE had fallen overboard in rough seas near the mouth of the Columbia River on the border of Oregon and Washington. He was wearing a yellow work helmet when he fell, but no life jacket. Conditions…

Read More

Tugboat Captain Dies After Falling Overboard

The body of Brendan O’Leary, 48, of Marblehead, Mass., was found on May 5 approximately four miles south of Montauk Point. He had been missing since April 25, when he fell overboard from the 91-foot STEPHEN-SCOTT approximately nine miles off the coast of Newport, R.I. Because there were no witnesses, the U.S. Coast Guard has…

Read More

Life Jacket Saves Man’s Life

On Aug. 14, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 43-year-old man stranded in the water near Auke Bay, Alaska. He had been working crab pots near Point Louisa when his canoe capsized. After being reported missing by a friend, he was found by Coast Guard responders and transported to Bartlett Hospital for treatment of mild…

Read More

Signs and Symptoms of Heat Stroke

During the summer, especially when temperatures are sizzling, boaters need to be aware of their risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Whether you are out for a pleasure ride, fishing with friends or working on a commercial vessel, you must take steps to stay cool and hydrated. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. It…

Read More

Newport Crab Fisherman Presumed Dead

In the early morning hours on July 3, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued three crab fishermen when the F/V SOUND LEADER sank off the coast of Oregon. Coast Guard crews searched for a missing fourth person until about 1:15 p.m., when the search was called off “due to the impossibility of survival resulting from the…

Read More

Fisherman Suffers Facial Injury

A 46-year-old man was airlifted from a New Bedford, Mass., fishing vessel on May 21 after being hit by gear and suffering an injury to his face. The F/V OSPREY was about 98 miles east of Cape Cod when a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted the injured man from the vessel. He was flown to…

Read More

New Bedford Fisherman Injured By Parted Wire

On May 9 at 7:52 a.m., watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received word that a crewmember aboard the F/V EXPLORER had sustained a head injury from a parted wire. The Coast Guard immediately launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat to assist the injured fisherman, and he was medically evacuated two miles west…

Read More

Tugboat Capsizes in New York Harbor

On April 6, the M/V KATHERINE G. capsized as it was preparing to transport a 60-ton construction crane off Liberty Island. According to NY1 News, the crane and two crewmembers fell into the water, while four others scrambled to the top of the overturned vessel. The tugboat was assisting with interior renovations at the Statue…

Read More

Fisherman Suffers Major Electrical Shock

On June 8, the Coast Guard airlifted a 43-year-old fisherman from the F/V CAPE HORN in the Bering Sea to Dillingham, Alaska, after he suffered heart complications from a major electrical shock. According to media reports, the unidentified man was working on the 145-foot vessel’s electrical switchboard when he received a 480-volt jolt. The ship…

Read More

Barge Capsizes, Workers Forced to Jump

Barge Capsizes, Workers Forced to Jump In April, workers with APAC Construction and a tugboat operator were performing repairs on a bridge in Smithville, Mo., when their barge and boat capsized, forcing them to jump into frigid waters. According to local media reports, the workers were in Smithville Lake for up to 15 minutes. A…

Read More

Sunken Fishing Vessel Raised from Penn Cove Amidst Environmental Concerns

In mid-May, the F/V DEEP SEA caught fire and sank in Washington’s Penn Cove. According to local media reports, the vessel had been illegally anchored there for months. Penn Cove is known worldwide for its quality mussels and shellfish. After the 128-foot vessel sank, it began leaking an estimated two gallons of diesel fuel per…

Read More

Fall Injuries in the Maritime Industry

Working in the maritime industry involves a number of risks, including the risk of falling. Falls in the maritime industry can be caused by a number of factors, such as: Tripping hazards Slippery conditions Unsafe stairways Poorly secured scaffolding Misuse of ladders Elevator or manlift malfunction Unguarded waterside edges Open hatches that are not marked…

Read More

Preventing Falls in the Maritime Industry

In New Zealand, a cargo-handler was recently injured at the Port of Lyttelton when he fell while working on a vessel. In the United Kingdom, Pendennis Shipyard Ltd. was recently fined thousands of pounds after an apprentice fell approximately two meters from improperly secured scaffolding and injured his knees. And just last month, a man…

Read More

Numerous Laws Protect Injured Maritime Workers

On May 2, the U.S. Coast Guard medically evacuated a fisherman who had severely injured his hand while hauling gear as he worked on board the F/V SANDY ROSE. He was transported to Bangor Eastern Maine Medical Center. Fishermen and other maritime workers routinely risk injuries to their hands, feet and other body parts. They…

Read More

Compensation for Injured Dockworkers

Compensation for Injured Dockworkers Working on a dock carries with it certain risks. Dockworkers can be seriously injured or killed in falls or by falling objects, and they risk having their hands and feet crushed between the dock and vessels. They also routinely handle hazardous materials and work with heavy machinery that can cause serious…

Read More

Workers’ Comp in the Maritime Industry

In the non-maritime world, employees who sustain on-the-job injuries or develop occupational illnesses are typically eligible to apply for state workers’ compensation. In the maritime industry, however, that is not always the case. Seamen, i.e., men and women who work on maritime vessels and whose duties contribute to the function of the vessel or the…

Read More

Maintenance and Cure Compensation for Injured and Ill Seamen

When a seaman becomes sick or injured on the job, his or her employer is required to provide maintenance and cure compensation. The responsibility for ship owners to provide care to sick and injured seamen dates back to the early 1800s. Although maintenance and cure compensation is not a new development in maritime law, maritime…

Read More

U.S. Coast Guard Investigating Tugboat Fire

Around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 27, a U.S.-flagged tugboat known as the PATRICE MCALLISTER caught fire in Canadian waters on Lake Ontario with six people aboard. Both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard responded to the tugboat fire. A Canadian helicopter transported the vessel’s chief engineer to a hospital in Belleville,…

Read More

Seeking Compensation for a Maritime Hand or Foot Injury

Whether working on a vessel as a crewmember or seaside as a longshoreman, maritime workers frequently risk having their hands and feet crushed, severed, broken or otherwise injured. A worker’s hand or foot can become entangled in a moving line or caught in equipment. It can also be crushed between a vessel and a dock or…

Read More

Maritime Law Protects Injured Dockworkers

Last month, a storage container fell from a crane and killed a dockworker at the Port of Long Beach. In August, a Philadelphia longshoreman died from a fall. As these accidents suggest, working shore-side can be dangerous. Dockworkers, also known as longshoremen, risk serious injury and death in their line of work. They utilize heavy…

Read More

When a Maritime Worker Suffers a Traumatic Brain Injury

One of the most serious injuries a maritime worker can sustain is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). According to the Centers for Disease Control, TBIs contribute to one-third of all injury-related deaths in the U.S. While not all TBIs are deadly, a brain injury can permanently alter one’s life. Recovering from a moderate to severe…

Read More

Understanding Your Rights Under Maritime Maintenance and Cure Laws

Since the early 1800s, ship owners have been responsible for providing care to seamen who sustain an injury or fall ill while working. Today, this care is known as maintenance and cure, which is available to any seaman injured on the job, regardless of who caused the injury. Unfortunately, not all employers follow the letter…

Read More

Prevailing Under the Jones Act

In 1920, Congress enacted the Jones Act to establish protections for maritime workers who sustain an injury while working at sea. Seamen cannot receive regular workers’ compensation for job-related injuries, but they do have the option to sue their employer under the Jones Act, as well as under unseaworthiness and defective equipment laws. The Jones…

Read More

Injured While Working in the Maritime Industry? Learn About Your Rights

Maritime workers who sustain an injury or contract an illness on the job have certain rights under maritime law. Some of the laws protecting maritime workers are: The Jones Act, which protects seamen injured during the course of their employment and due to their employer’s negligence The Longshore Act, which protects maritime workers who are…

Read More

Arbitration Agreement Signed by Princess Cruise Lines Crewmember Keeps Her Jones Act Claim Out of Court

Arbitration Agreement Signed by Princess Cruise Lines Crewmember Keeps Her Jones Act Claim Out of Court In yesterday’s post, we discussed binding arbitration clauses, exploring how corporations essentially use them as do-it-yourself tort reform to prevent class actions and to keep individual claims out of the courtroom. Many cruise lines include arbitration agreements in their…

Read More