Jones Act Attorneys Review Hurricane Sandy’s Effects on New Jersey Fishermen

New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state in the country by total area, but it has the most inhabitants per square mile of any of the 50 states. It is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, but the state also falls within the vicinity of the major metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. The Garden State is known for its commercial groundfishing, clam and shell fishing industries. Ports in New Jersey include the Port of Camden, Gloucester Marine Terminal, Port of Newark, Port of Bayonne, Port of Camden, Cape May Harbor, Port of Elizabeth, Gloucester Marine Terminal, Port of Hackensack, Port of Newark, Cape May Terminal, Port of Paulsboro, Deepwater Point, Port of Pennsauken, Port of Perth Amboy, Port Norris Harbor and Port of Trenton.

New Jersey fishermen were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. In requesting a federal disaster declaration for the state last November, Governor Chris Christie said New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries generate about $2.7 billion in combined economic activity. “The storm resulted in significant losses for the industry, damaging or destroying vessels, ports, facilities, and equipment,” Christie said. “It also left coastal areas that the industry needs severely damaged or inaccessible. This declaration will help the fishing industry obtain immediate disaster relief assistance and help it cope during this time of great economic loss and hardship.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Garden State’s commercial fishing industry landed 175 million pounds of tuna, flounder, crabs, clams, oysters, mullet, and other shellfish and finfish in 2011, seafood that was worth about $1.3 billion. In a report on the impact of Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the commercial fishing industry generated $6.6 billion in sales, contributed $2.4 billion to gross state product and supported 44,000 jobs across the broader state economy.

Sports and Transportation

New Jersey has various professional sports teams in the area and has many great stadiums to host them at, including the Prudential Center, Red Bull Arena and MetLife Stadium, which is set to host the 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII. New Jersey is also the birthplace of much of the nation’s music industry and was the birthplace of FM radio and is the home of Roc-A-Fella records. New Jersey has ferries for transportation on the Delaware Bay operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority and ferries at almost every harbor for travel. New Jersey’s main airport is Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the U.S. There’s also the Atlantic City International Airport and Trenton-Mercer Airport within the state.

Maritime Trial Lawyers Help New Jersey Fishermen

Latti & Anderson LLP has been representing commercial fishermen and other maritime workers in New Jersey and throughout New England for over 50 years. We have obtained several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for all types of crewmembers, including a $1.65 million settlement for a scallop boat captain who sustained a torn rotator cuff and torn bicep because a repair crew failed to clean up after working on the vessel’s equipment. If you are a seaman who sustained serious injuries or your loved one was killed while working on a vessel and doing the vessel’s work, you may be entitled to compensation under the Jones Act. You can give yourself the best chance of obtaining compensating by seeking legal representation as soon as possible, and you can fill out the form on this page to have our Jones Act attorneys review your case or you can contact our firm at (800) 392-6072 to take advantage of a free consultation.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Jones Act lawyers