TRAGEDY STRIKES NEW ENGLAND FISHING COMMUNITY

Another tragedy has struck the local New England fishing community with the sinking of the F/V MISTY BLUE which is based in New Bedford but owned and operated by companies from Cape May, New Jersey of Atlantic Cape Fisheries, Inc. and F/V MISTY BLUE LLC.   Currently, the USCG, local agencies and good Samaritans are searching…

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Safety Tips to Prevent and Fight Fishing Boat Fires

One of the last places you want to be when a fire breaks out is confined to a boat. You could become trapped, have to abandon ship or be the victim of an explosion if the fire reaches your vessel’s fuel supply. Therefore, for anyone who spends much time on the water, whether for business…

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Do Commercial Fishermen Need More Safety Training?

Last week, New Bedford hosted a pair of boating safety training events for commercial fishermen, according to South Coast Today. The training sessions took place at the School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass Dartmouth on November 17 from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and November 18 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The…

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New Bedford Fishing Accident Prompts a Rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard

A fisherman required help from the U.S. Coast Guard when he sustained a severe hand laceration in a New Bedford fishing accident. According to the Coast Guard, the New Bedford-based fishing boat was brought to shore when it became obvious the fisherman required immediate medical attention. Are Hand Injuries Common in Fishing Accidents? Wrist and…

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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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How Did Alaska Reduce the Number of Commercial Fishermen Deaths to Zero?

This month, the U.S. Coast Guard tallied up the numbers and it turns out Alaska made history. Last year is the first year that not a single commercial fisherman in the state died working at sea. While six commercial fishing boats sunk during this time period, every man on board was rescued. Between 1990 and…

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Boat Collision in Maine Claims One Life

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The Coast Guard and the Maine Marine Patrol are investigating the cause of a boat collision between two fishing vessels in which one person died and one person was rescued offshore of Schoodic Point, Maine, Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Dead is Frank Jordan from the fishing vessel Linda Diane. Jordan’s crewman…

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What is Fish Handler’s Disease?

It seems fishermen are not only exposed to the elements, they can be exposed to certain illnesses, such as vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium strain that causes fish handler’s disease. This is what one fisherman became exposed to last year and it nearly cost him his life. It took two hospitals, one infectious disease specialist, 10…

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Prevent Rigging Injuries with These Tips from OSHA

Rigging is an important part of working in a shipyard or on a vessel. Workers who implement rigging use ropes, chains, cables, cranes and other hoisting materials to support their loads. Unfortunately, employers who do not take proper precautions expose riggers to many hazards, causing injuries such as crush accidents, amputations, falls, electric shock or…

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Dredging Accident: What is the Seaman’s Manslaughter Act?

WLOX-TV reports that a Louisiana company has admitted that it did not properly mark a dredge operation near Deer Island, Mississippi, leading to the death of a residential boater. The news outlet reports that C.F. Bean, LLC has pleaded guilty to the statute commonly referred to as the Seaman’s Manslaughter Act. With the plea, the…

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Portland Harbor Diver Struck by Propeller

According to the Portland Press Herald, a diver died recently following a Portland Harbor accident in which he was struck by a spinning boat propeller. The news outlet reported that the victim died on October 7, as he was attempting to remove rope that was tangled on the propeller of a 65-foot fishing boat. As…

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Commercial Fisherman Killed in Yacht Accident

According to the Westerly Sun, a commercial fisherman died after his 25-foot vessel was involved in a collision with a yacht near the Watch Hill Lighthouse, off the coast of Rhode Island. The accident took place on September 22. Friends of the victim, 81, reported that he was a longtime commercial rod-and-reel fisherman who sold…

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Hand Injury: Fisherman Rescued From Maryland Coast

According to WMDT-TV, on August 22, a fisherman needed to be medevaced by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland after he severely injured his hand. The victim, 23, reportedly deeply lacerated his hand at around 8 a.m. when he was fishing on the 96-foot commercial vessel Hannah Boden. Representatives from…

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Bodies of Missing Crabbers Found in North Carolina

Sadly, according to WVEC-TV, the bodies of three missing crabbers have been located off the coast of North Carolina. According to the news outlet, the men were reportedly crabbing aboard a 25-foot boat and never returned to Camden Point in April. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that their bodies were later found in three different…

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Legal Rights for Injured Commercial Fishermen

Are you a commercial fisherman? If you work in the maritime industry, you should know that commercial fishermen have one of the highest occupational fatality rates in the country, often due to safety lapses on the part of employers and ship owners. Commercial fishermen work on boats including clamming vessels, offshore lobster boats, crab boats,…

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Who is Responsible When Boats Collide?

Seventeen nautical miles off the Shinnecock Inlet, a commercial fishing boat and a sport fishing boat collided. The commercial vessel, the Elizabeth J, was fishing for scallops when the crew saw an approaching vessel appear on radar. The oncoming sport fisher, the Nina Marie, was moving at a speed of about 20 knots in fog…

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What Items Do Damage Control Kits Contain?

Imagine working on a fishing vessel when the bilge alarms begin to sound—now imagine the skipper telling you that the boat is taking on water. It is a scary situation to think about, but not terribly uncommon. This is why you can buy damage-control kits at marine supply stores and/or assemble them yourself. The kits…

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Florida Fisherman Injured When Boat Runs Aground

Sadly, four commercial fishermen were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard last month when their 63-foot boat ran aground near Fort Lauderdale Beach. According to media reports, the Joyce Lynn II was heading back after a crabbing expedition when it ran aground on submerged reef, north of Port Everglades, in Florida. According to reports, as…

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Fishing Boat Sinks After Coast Guard Cutter Crashes Into It

In a recent article about shipwrecks on the National Geographic Channel’s website, the author makes a point of mentioning that “the risk of crashing into another vessel remains high” in shipping lanes and harbors worldwide. Unfortunately, his words proved prophetic late last month when a 42-foot fishing boat sank after a 110-foot Coast Guard cutter…

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Join Us This Weekend at the Working Waterfront Festival!

Our firm is excited to be taking part in the 10th Annual Working Waterfront Festival, which will run from Saturday, September 27 (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) through Sunday, September 28 (11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) on the Port of New Bedford’s Steamship Pier. (Admission to the festival is free, and free parking for the…

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Lobstermen Rescued After Nine Hours in Raft

Even experienced boaters can have mishaps on the water. All it takes is a dark night, some thick fog and an inconveniently positioned rock or two. Two Maine lobstermen spent one terrifying night adrift in an inflatable life raft after their fishing vessel hit a ledge in thick fog last month and quickly sank. The…

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Northern Belle Fishing Boat Sinks

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Coast Guard rescue crews from Air Station Kodiak have recovered four fishermen at 8:39 p.m. 50 miles south of Montegue Island after the 75-foot Seattle-based fishing vessel Northern Belle sank Tuesday around 5:30 p.m. Three of the four fishermen were reported to be suffering from hypothermia and a fourth was unresponsive but…

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New York Boating Accident Claims Life of Navy Veteran

Police say two men were fishing in an anchored boat near the Stepping Stone Lighthouse off the Bronx shoreline, when they realized that a speeding powerboat was about to crash into them. Both men leapt into the Long Island sound to avoid being crushed. When the larger vessel passed without hitting them, one man climbed…

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The Owner Of My Ship Ignores Safety Guidelines. What Can I Do?

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that during a November fishing expedition, a 72-foot trawler and its seven-member crew were 150 miles southeast of Cape Cod, when the engineer noticed loose bolts on the stuffing box housing. The whole unit was moving freely with the propulsion shaft. The owner and port engineer advised the onboard engineer…

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What Should I Do If My Boat Catches Fire?

During a day trip off Cape Disappointment, a Washington-based wooden crab boat caught fire with the skipper and two deckhands on board. One of the deckhands heard odd sounds coming from the engine room. He remembered that the vessel’s hydraulic system, which had been a problem before, had recently been repaired. Just as he entered…

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Our Lawyers Help Fisherman Secure $925,000 Settlement

In the wake of an incident that left a fisherman with severe injuries, our firm was able to help him recover a $925,000 settlement. Prior to suffering the injuries, the man was working on a boat owned and operated by the Dona Martita Fishing Co. LLC, which is based out of Massachusetts. The incident that…

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Our Attorneys Recover $800,000 for Injured Fisherman

After a stern ramp door crushed a fisherman’s leg, our firm was able to secure an $800,000 settlement for him. The accident happened while the door was being lowered to set out the fishing net. Due to the severity of his injuries, the 53-year-old was not able to return to work. His injuries were diagnosed…

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Our Firm Recovers $1.5 Million for Injured Fisherman

Our maritime trial lawyers were able to recover $1.5 million in a settlement for a crewmember injured in a messenger line accident while working on a fishing boat. The crewman had just placed the messenger line over the starboard spreader bar when the accident happened. After the plaintiff put down the line, it went taut,…

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Our Firm Secures a $775,000 Settlement for Scallop Boat Crewman

After a crewmember was injured on the F/V NASHIRA, a scallop boat, our nationwide maritime trial lawyers were able to secure a $775,000 settlement for him. The crewman was hurt during the evening while working on the deck of the ship. The incident that caused the man’s injuries began with a pile of scallops being…

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I Lost an Arm in a Fishing Boat Accident. What Do I Do?

At Latti & Anderson LLP, we have seen how the physical pain and mental anguish of losing a limb can affect an amputee for the rest of his or her life. Amputees can sometimes have to relearn basic skills and be hindered in their ability to work or enjoy a lifestyle similar to the one…

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