What to Expect After a Maritime Injury

If you’re in a car accident, you know what to do. You call the police and file an insurance claim. However, when you experience a traumatizing maritime injury while working at sea, things work a lot differently. In all of the confusion, it can be easy to say or do the wrong thing that could…

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What are the Most Common Causes of Injuries for Commercial Fishermen?

Commercial fishing is a hard and physically demanding job. It also, unfortunately, has a bad reputation for being a dangerous occupation. However, when safe practices are employed, many commercial fishing accidents can be prevented. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), understanding the risks and anticipating potential dangers can prevent fishing injuries and…

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What Happens When a Maritime Worker is Injured On Land?

Maritime workers are not just limited to working on vessels at sea. They are also responsible for building, unloading and guiding ships. Types of land-based maritime workers can include: Longshoremen Dock workers Ship builders Harbor workers Stevedores When a maritime worker who doesn’t work on the water sustains an injury, there may be a moment…

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What Caused This Ferry Accident That Injured 45 Passengers?

Seastreak, the company that operates the new Providence-Newport vessel, is facing $75 million in lawsuits after a ferry accident in 2013 that injured 45 passengers. The ferry was carrying 326 passengers when it smashed into a docking barge. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the ferry did not have a safety management system.…

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Reality TV Show Denied a Fisherman Medical Care, Causing Amputation Injuries

In March, a fisherman began working on a boat in Galveston that was filming a reality show on the National Geographic Channel called Big Fish, Texas. On the first day at sea, the fisherman received lacerations on his hands despite the fact he was wearing gloves. The lacerations became infected. While the production crew could…

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Water-Skier Seriously Injured in New Hampshire Drunk Boating Accident

This past Fourth of July weekend, a 38-year-old water-skier sustained serious leg injuries when he was struck by the propeller of a recreational boat in New Hampshire. He was transported via life flight to Maine Medical Center, though there is no further information on his condition. His cousin was found to be intoxicated and has…

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Have You Seen the New Bedford Fishing Monument?

On June 30th, City Pier 3 at 228 MacArthur Drive in New Bedford received a permanent fixture on the waterfront. The Fishermen’s Tribute Monument, which was unveiled at Tonnessen Park, has been completed and placed to honor all the “men and women—past, present and future—within the fishing industry, especially those who have lost their lives…

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Paddleboarder Loses a Leg in Fishing Boat Accident

Last year, a 28-year-old on vacation was enjoying the outdoor water activities in Destin, Florida. She had gone scuba diving, wakeboarding and was enjoying paddleboarding at sunset. At that time, a fishing boat traveling at approximately 20 miles per hour ran right over the paddleboarder, ripping through the bones, muscles, tendons, nerves and a key…

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Are Oil Rig Companies Failing to Provide Proper Training to Workers?

On March 11th, federal safety officials launched an investigation into the death of an oil rig worker in the Gulf of Mexico after the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement responded to a fatal injury report. According to NOLA.com, the platform is located about 150 miles off shore, south of New Orleans and is owned…

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How is the Crab Fishing Fleet from “Deadliest Catch” Improving on Safety?

Fans of the hit Discovery channel show “Deadliest Catch” know that the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island crab fleet was once the most hazardous commercial fishery in the world. However, thanks to an increased emphasis on safety since the 1990s, fatal maritime accidents and injury cases have dropped in this particular industry. What Safety Measures Have Helped…

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How Did An Appeals Court Expand Admiralty Law?

Do injuries suffered on recreational boats in shallow water fall under admiralty jurisdiction? According to the U.S. Second Court of Appeals, they do, despite a 1972 Supreme Court ruling that narrowed admiralty jurisdiction. High Stakes for Victim of Diving Injury In 2011, a Syracuse, New York man took a summer trip on a boat in…

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Is South Florida the Deadliest Area in the State for Boaters?

Keys, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties have been found to be the deadliest areas for boaters in Florida. Last year, Florida had 55 boating deaths, five of which occurred in Monroe County and just as many in Broward. While this was a decrease from the 73 deaths that occurred in 2014, the numbers are still…

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Why are Dungeness Crab Fishing Injuries Underreported?

In a previous blog, we talked about a new study that found that Dungeness crab fishing injuries often go unreported. Now, public health expert Laurel Kincl conducted in-depth fishermen interviews and surveys that show possible causes of why the number of injuries to Dungeness crab fishermen are underreported. From 2002 to 2012, there were only…

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How Maritime Workers Can Avoid Fatigue

The GCaptain publication makes a very apt observation that shipping culture often equates hard work with fewer hours of sleep. However, studies have shown that who is awake for 17 hours straight can be comparable to a person with a .05 blood alcohol content level. This is especially applicable to fatigued maritime workers. Given all of…

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How Is NOAA Making Commercial Fishing Safer?

A new system being implemented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) may help eliminate many of the potential dangers faced by commercial fishermen. The mortality rate for maritime workers is almost 30 times higher than the national average. The reason for that scary number is believed to be related to the risky behaviors…

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Fisherman Wins $2.6 Million in Case Against Fishing Companies

Being a commercial fisherman can be a demanding, physical job. Fishermen face difficulties that people who work on the land might not even consider. Rough seas, heavy equipment and unpredictable fish can make the job a challenge. However, despite all the unique situations fishermen deal with on a daily basis, faulty equipment should never be…

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Are Overweight Shipping Containers Safe?

When cargo is loaded onto a container ship, someone on board is charged with figuring out where each container should be placed on the vessel. Cargo placed on container ships presents a particular problem because each container looks similar, so the person in charge of placement must make decisions based on the documented weight of…

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Are Recreational Boating Fatalities Decreasing?

The U.S. Coast Guard has some good news for summer boaters. According to the 2015 Recreational Boating Statistics report, the number of boating fatalities nationwide is 626, which is the third-lowest number on record. The report goes on to say the number of injuries caused by recreational boating accident injuries have decreased from 2,678 reported…

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Why is This Deckhand Suing a Marine Towing Company?

Recently, Latti & Anderson LLP resolved a case against a tug company and its owner where the crew member was on deck, helping feed out the line from the line box when the next thing the crew member heard was a loud pop and he was thrown numerous feet back on the stern on the tug.    The crew member sustained…

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Happy National Maritime Day From the Team at Latti & Anderson LLP

May 22nd marks a very important day for the United States maritime industry. This day is meant to recognize one of the most vital industries. Each year, the maritime industry provides security, transports goods, creates recreational activities and, of course, brings jobs to our country. National Maritime Day is a day to take pause and…

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Can This New Safety Manual Help Members of the Commercial Fishing Industry?

Last week, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center hosted Fishing Partnership Support Services and the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership to commemorate a historic publication of a manual dedicated to the fishing community, first responders and families of fishermen. The new safety manual, called “Responding to Emergencies at Sea and to Communities Under Extreme Stress – RESCUES,”…

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Are Ferry Boats Safe?

In 2003, a 310-foot ferry boat was reaching the end of the 5-mile trip between Manhattan to Staten Island in New York with more than 1,500 passengers on board when it crashed full-speed into a maintenance pier. The concrete platform smashed into the starboard side of the ferry and ripped into the main deck, where…

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Why Was This Boater Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison?

A judge sentenced a woman to seven years in prison last month for a boating accident that happened in December of 2013. That day, the boater and her boyfriend were drinking and enjoying the weather when she drove her 18-foot boat into a piling underneath the Old Griffin Road Bridge in Dania Beach, Florida. A surveillance…

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How Did This Tugboat Crewmember Lose His Life?

Last month, the friends and loved ones of a 33-year-old tugboat deckhand mourned for his passing after a tragic tugboat accident. They smiled sadly and spoke of how he could light up the room, but they all still wanted answers as to the circumstances of his death. On April 19th, a tugboat on the San…

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How Did This 3-Year-Old Die in a Boating Accident?

Last month, a 3-year-old boy was on a fishing trip with his family at Canyon Ferry Lake in Montana. He was playing on a cement boat launch that had an extended dock, which is usually pulled in the water. However, the water levels were particularly low, so the boat launch had been stored to the…

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The U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Man in an Inflatable Bubble—Again!

The U.S. Coast Guard had an interesting run-in in 2014 with a man running in an inflatable bubble just off the coast of Miami, Florida. The vessel, which the Coast Guard has named a “HydroPod,” resembles more of a hamster wheel with a transparent plastic bubble in the middle and is made to run on…

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Why is This Tugboat Worker Suing Tappan Zee Constructors?

The Tappan Zee bridge has been under construction and has caused several accidents this year. In a previous blog, we covered the tragic sinking of a tugboat that cost three crewmembers their lives when the tug smashed into a construction barge. Now, the bridge has claimed another victim. A tugboat worker was ordered onto one…

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Why are Passengers Calling Royal Caribbean a Nightmare Cruise Line?

Last month, a cruise ship passenger from Texas fell 100 feet into the water from a Royal Caribbean cruise line. After an exhaustive effort covering more than 2,500 miles, the Coast Guard called off the search and explained the fall would have likely killed the passenger or stunned him, which means he would have drowned.…

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How Did This Worker Sustain Amputation Injuries While Channel Dredging?

Last year, a worker was channel dredging at Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Florida when he very suddenly sustained serious injuries. Dredging is a necessity at harbors and ports around the world. Without dredging, sediments that wash downstream will eventually fill the port, which is why dredging is a 24-hour process at Port Canaveral. Crewmembers…

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Be Our Guest to the New Bedford Commercial Marine Expo

On April 27th through the 28th, Latti & Anderson LLP will be attending the Commercial Marine Expo (CME) in New Bedford, Massachusetts and we would like you to join! You can pay $20 at the door upon arrival. However, if you contact our office at (800) 392-6072 or contact us online, we can send you…

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Is Too Much Technology Causing Maritime Accidents?

In a previous blog, we described a boat accident that occurred due to distracted boat operators, one of whom was distracted by paperwork and the other hanging his fishing nets. However, a recent article published by Marine Electronics & Communications describes a very different type of distraction that has possibly caused an increase in maritime…

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How is Massachusetts Preparing Fishermen for Emergencies?

When commercial fishermen are out at sea, they only have their crew and experience to rely upon in an emergent situation. In these cases, good instincts and prior practice can turn the tides on potentially dangerous situations. That’s why Fishing Partnership Support Services was founded in Massachusetts, where New England has some of the most dangerous waters in the country.…

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What is the Most Common Cause of Accident for Crab Fishermen?

Commercial crab fishing has a bad reputation for being one of the most dangerous industries, especially the Dungeness crab fishing industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, 80 out of every 100,000 crab fishermen die while commercial crab fishing. However, a recent article by the Half Moon Bay Review says that any injuries and…

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What Caused the Deepwater Horizon Accident?

You may have stumbled across the trailer of a movie titled Deepwater Horizon, starring Mark Wahlberg. The trailer begins with a child who describes her father’s job working on an oil rig that later undergoes a terrible disaster. Then, the text “Based on a true story” appears. Deepwater Horizon is based on the true events…

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What are the Three Factors that Cause 80 Percent of Deaths at Sea?

Here’s the good news. The overall number of commercial fishing fatalities has declined by 34 percent during the time between 2000 and 2014. So, what’s the bad news? Well, fishermen are still dying at sea. In 2014 alone, 29 fishermen died while working at sea. Granted, this is a huge decrease compared to the 42…

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What Caused These Two Vessels to Crash in the Gulf Coast?

In 2014, an unusual circumstance occurred that caused a commercial fishing boat and an offshore supply vessel (OSV) to collide. That evening, the 130-foot OSV slammed into a 73-foot shrimping boat and breached the hull, causing the shrimp boat to sink. Thankfully, all of the shrimp boat crew were recovered from the water with minimal…

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How Did These Boaters Die on an Alabama Lake?

Last year, two passengers on a pontoon boat lost their lives when they were struck by another vessel in the northwest Alabama area. The pontoon boat passengers had been taken out late that night for stargazing when a barge being pushed by towboats was heading downstream. The pontoon boat stalled and the barge smashed into…

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Worker Loses His Life in New Jersey Tugboat Accident

Last week, an 84-foot-long tugboat crashed into a construction barge near the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York. The 13 crewmembers of the construction barge were not injured, but unfortunately, three of the crewmembers did not survive the tugboat accident. Three tugboats were pushing a separate barge across the Hudson River from Albany to New…

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Boater Loses His Life When He Collides With a Ferry

The Quebec River near Laval is often occupied by a 48-foot cable ferry that uses the current to navigate across the river. Last year, a pleasure craft caused a boating accident when it crashed into this ferry, and a young man lost his life and several other passengers sustained injuries. According to the report, there…

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How Did 15 Passengers Get Injured On a North Carolina Boat?

When 159 passengers boarded a party boat in North Carolina, they were expecting a great night. Thirty minutes after the boat departed, however, many were shaken and 15 ended up sustaining injuries when the vessel slammed into a pier. A Coast Guard investigation showed that the steering pump failed, which caused the 120-foot boat to…

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Towboat Hits St. Louis Bridge and Causes Tragedy for Worker

A worker who was assigned the job of sandblasting a Mississippi River bridge was killed when a towboat hit the scaffolding he was working from last year. The worker was performing maintenance on the Eads Bridge in St. Louis when the towboat struck. The worker fell and landed on the deck of the boat with…

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How Did This Mississippi River Towboat Lose Control?

Late last year, a mariner who worked on a Mississippi River towboat lost his life when the boat capsized and sank during a spell of unusually high water and fast current near St. Louis. The Coast Guard was unable to recover the worker’s body for a month. The towboat was getting ready to move barges…

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New Jersey Tugboat Crewmen Tragedy Occurs at an Oil Depot

Last October, a crewmember of a tugboat fell from a barge ladder and into the water at an oil depot in New Jersey. The 55-year-old’s body was recovered the following day by police divers. The Coast Guard is still investigating to determine if the death was caused by negligence. So far, the investigation has shown…

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Mustard Gas Exposure On Fishing Boat

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Investigators are pondering if Mustard gas made the crew of the 145-foot ESS Pursuit sick off the coast of Long Island last Sunday. The New Jersey Based clam boat was reported to have pulled up eight military shelves, possibly dating back to the World War I era. Crewmen have begun the process…

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The Jones Act Essentials: Answers to the Most Common Questions

The Jones Act is a law governing most maritime matters. It was created in 1920 to explicitly define the rights of injured seamen and their families because they were not covered by workers’ compensation laws. The most common explanation of when the Jones Act is applicable would be when a seaman is injured or dies…

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Former Deckhand Gives Safety Tips on River Towboats

According to a former deckhand, working on a river towboat is unlike any other offshore experience he’s had. The deckhand insists when you work on a ship, you don’t work a job. Rather, you live your job. Towboat, also called a line boat, are boats that push barges down water ways or rivers. These are…

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