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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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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Three Companies Charged for Lives Lost in 2012 Oil Rig Explosion

In November 2012, an oil production platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in an oil spill, the injury of nine workers as well as the death of three workers. Late last year, the three companies responsible for the West Delta 32 platform explosion were finally faced with criminal charges. How Did the West…

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El Faro Update: Family Attorneys Try to Block Limited Liability Motion

Last October, 33 people lost their loves when the cargo ship, El Faro, sank off the coast of the Bahamas during a hurricane. Bangor Daily News called the tragedy the worst cargo shipping disaster since the 1980s. The vessel, owned by TOTE Maritime, had a history of substandard maintenance. As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs,…

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Gloucester Fisherman Dead on the Western Venture

The Boston.com Metro Desk reported that a 51-year-old Gloucester fisherman died late Tuesday after diving beneath a herring boat to untangle a net from its rudder, the city’s assistant harbormaster said. The crewman was working on the 164-foot Western Venture fishing boat about 150 miles from shore when a net that the crew was attempting…

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Did the El Faro Captain Report a Hull Breach?

According to CNN, the captain of the El Faro cargo ship that is presumed to have sunk during Hurricane Joaquin reported a hull breach, blown scuttle and the presence of water onboard the vessel before it went missing. The National Transportation and Safety Board, which is investigating the ship’s disappearance, has confirmed the communication of…

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Sinking of Cargo Ship El Faro: What Happens Next?

The maritime community has suffered a tremendous loss with the sinking of the El Faro. The families of the crew members are grieving and trying to grasp their devastating loss. Thirty-three crew members of all ages were lost in a horrific tragedy and everyone wants to know why did this happen. Questions range from: Should…

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Crewman Lost at Sea After Hull Accident

According to Professional Mariner, a crewmember painting the side of a bulk carrier fell into the Gulf of Mexico last December off the Texas coast and investigators were not able to locate his body. The news source reported that the accident alongside the CF Crystal, near the Texas coast, while the man was painting the…

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Can Asbestos Cause Maritime Deaths?

Can Asbestos Cause Maritime Deaths? A fatal occupational disease has led to a $3.6 million lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Line. An employee for the cruise ship died because of prolonged exposure to asbestos throughout his 15-year employment history with the company. He was eventually diagnosed with lung cancer caused by asbestos. This lawsuit is the…

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Am I at Risk of Inert Gas Suffocation in an Enclosed Space?

Am I at Risk of Inert Gas Suffocation in an Enclosed Space? Inert gases like argon don’t do much, which is why they are so useful in manual labor, like welding, where the work has to be performed in a non-combustible atmosphere to prevent fires or, worse, explosions, but while argon can make the work environment…

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Crewmember Falls To Death While Ship Is At Anchor

A crewmember on a 19-ton cargo ship was fatally injured as a result of a fall. The crewman had been working in a steel basket attached, high above the deck, to the on-board electric provision crane. The crewmember was said to be painting at the time of his fall, and the crane was not suitable…

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Men Perish on Boat Rare Suffering Damages

Men Perish on Boat; Rare Suffering Damages Awarded Such Cases Usually Focus on Economic Support By Tony Wright Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly April 5, 2004 Related Articles: March 11, 2004 November 2, 2002 January 10, 2002 January 3, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999…

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Victims’ Families Win Suit Against Cape Fear Owner

Victims’ families win suit against Cape Fear owner By Curt Brown and David Kibbe The Standard-Times March 11, 2004 Related Articles: November 2, 2002 January 10, 2002 January 3, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999 BOSTON – A U.S. District Court jury yesterday…

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Boating Mishaps Harder to Investigate

By Ray Carbone Foster’s Sunday Citizen June 8, 2003 Investigators who probe boating accidents – such as the one that killed John Hartman on Lake Winnipesaukee last summer, for which a Meredith man is now being tried in Belknap Superior Court – face some special challenges. They can include everything from a paucity of physical…

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Starbound Families Settle Civil Suit

Starbound Families Settle Civil Lawsuit With Owner Reach Agreement For Undisclosed Amount By Dexter Van Zile National Fisherman December 2002 Related Articles: September 28, 2002 October 12, 2001 August 25, 2001 August 21, 2001 (The Boston Globe) August 21, 2001 (Boston Herald) August 21, 2001 (Portland Press Herald) August 18, 2001 August 7, 2001 Fishermen…

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Court Nixes Cap on Cape Fear Damages

By David Kibbe The Standard-Times Related Articles: April 5, 2004 March 11, 2004 January 10, 2002 January 3, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999 BOSTON – A federal appeals court yesterday upheld the U.S. District Court ruling that the Cape Fear was overloaded…

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Final Settlement Reached in Tanker’s Sinking of Boat

Final Settlement Reached In Tanker’s Sinking Of Boat By Jules Crittenden Boston Herald Related Articles: December 2002 October 12, 2001 August 25, 2001 August 21, 2001 (The Boston Globe) August 21, 2001 (Boston Herald) August 21, 2001 (Portland Press Herald) August 18, 2001 August 7, 2001 The final part of a complex $7.5 million settlement…

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New Cape Fear Lawsuits Target Marine Architects

By Jack Stewardson The Standard-Times Related Articles: April 5, 2004 March 11, 2004 November 2, 2002 January 3, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999 The families of two fishermen lost in the sinking of the Cape Fear three years ago are seeking to…

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Judge Says Cape Fear Wasn’t Seaworthy

Judge: Cape Fear Wasn’t Seaworthy Jury Will Decide Monetary Damages By David Kibbe The Standard-Times Related Articles: April 5, 2004 March 11, 2004 November 2, 2002 January 10, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999 BOSTON – A federal judge ruled yesterday that, because…

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Legal Stage Set for Portland Judge to Decide Fault in Starbound

Legal Stage Is Set For Portland Judge To Decide Fault In Starbound Sinking The Tanker Virgo’s Owners File Documents Blaming The Fishing Boat For A Collision That Killed Three Of Its Crew By John Richardson Portland Press Herald Related Articles: December 2002 September 28, 2002 August 25, 2001 August 21, 2001 (The Boston Globe) August…

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Tanker Firm Posts $13 Million for Lawsuits

By Jules Crittenden Boston Herald Related Articles: December 2002 September 28, 2002 October 12, 2001 August 21, 2001 (The Boston Globe) August 21, 2001 (Boston Herald) August 21, 2001 (Portland Press Herald) August 18, 2001 August 7, 2001 Suspected killer tanker Virgo will be free to leave Canada Monday after posting a $13 million bond…

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Federal Suit Filed Against Suspect Tanker’s Owner Operator

Starbound Widow’s US Case Follows Action In Canada By Brian MacQuarrie The Boston Globe The widow of a Maine fisherman who died in the Aug. 5 sinking of the trawler Starbound filed suit yesterday in US District Court in Boston against the owner and operator of the Russian tanker that allegedly collided with the vessel.…

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Family of Starbound Victim Files Second Lawsuit

Family Of Starbound Victim Files Second Lawsuit, This One In U.S. With the ship suspected in the sinking berthed in Canada, the Sanfilippos argue the case belongs in a New England court. By Bart Jansen Portland Press Herald WASHINGTON – Relatives of a Maine fisherman killed in the sinking of the Starbound filed a second…

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Fisherman’s Widow Files $6 Million Suit

Fisherman‘s Widow Files $6M Suit By Boston Herald Staff Boston Herald The widow of a Maine fisherman killed when the Russian tanker Virgo allegedly struck his boat off Cape Ann sued the ship’s owner for $6 million in federal court in Boston yesterday. Aimee L. Sanfilippo, whose husband James Sanfilippo died Aug. 5 along with…

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Federal Suit Filed Against Suspect Tanker Owners

Federal Suit Filed Against Suspect Tanker’s Owner, Operator Starbound Widow’s US Case Follows Action In Canada By Brian MacQuarrie The Boston Globe The widow of a Maine fisherman who died in the Aug. 5 sinking of the trawler Starbound filed suit yesterday in US District Court in Boston against the owner and operator of the…

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Maine Fisherman’s Widow Files Suit Against Tanker

Maine Fisherman’s Widow Files Suit Against Tanker By Dave Wedge Boston Herald The widow of one of three New England fishermen drowned when a Russian vessel allegedly plowed into and sank their trawler lodged a $6 million wrongful death lawsuit in a Canadian court yesterday. Aimee Lynne Sanfilippo, widow of James Sanfilippo, filed suit in…

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Hit and Run Ship Sought

The Coast Guard Searches For The Large Ship That Collided With A Maine Fishing Boat, Sinking It And Apparently Killing Three Men. By David Hench Portland Press Herald CHRONOLOGY Just before 1 a.m. Sunday, James Sanfilippo, a crewman aboard the fishing boat Starbound, reportedly notices a large ship heading toward the much smaller vessel. He…

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Salvaged Families Fear Owner Will Put it Back to Sea

By Staff The Standard-Times NEW BEDFORD – Now that the Cape Fear has been raised from the ocean floor, the families of two crewmen who died when the ocean quahogger went down in January fear the vessel will be sent back to sea. The families of Steven Reeves and Paul Martin, the two crewmen who…

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Pilot Enters Apology as Part of Settlement

John G. ‘Sean’ Rafter Admits He Should Have Landed His AirMed Helicopter Before It Ran Out Of Fuel And Crashed In Casco Bay, Killing Three. By Jason Wolfe Portland Press Herald January 30, 1996 The pilot of a rescue helicopter that crashed into Casco Bay more than two years ago admitted Monday that his mistakes…

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Helicopter Crash Lawsuit Settled

Helicopter Crash Lawsuit Settled By Staff The Boston Globe January 30, 1996 PORTLAND, Maine – The family of a burn victim who was killed in the crash of an air ambulance in Casco Bay more than two years ago reached a settlement with the pilot yesterday. The settlement was announced as jury selection was about…

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Discovery of Fishing Boat Atlantis Wreckage Draws Mixed Response

By Natalie White The Standard-Times NEW BEDFORD – The day before the Atlantis was due in port, Fatima Barros was plagued by apprehension and a sick feeling in her stomach. She had a nightmare and worried it was a negative omen about her parents in Cape Verde or her husband John, who was a cook…

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Suit Seeks $4.5 Million From Owners of Missing New Bedford Boat

By Jack Sullivan Boston Globe A $4.5 million lawsuit, the first of several expected legal actions, was filed in federal court yesterday against the owners of the missing New Bedford fishing vessel Atlantis. The complaint charges the owners of the boat with negligence and claims the boat was not seaworthy. The complaint was filed on…

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$1.25 Million Awarded in Weather Suit

$1.25 Million Awarded in Weather Suit By Joanne Ball The Boston Globe August 13, 1985 US District Court judge yesterday ordered the federal government to pay $1.25 million to the families of three lobstermen who died during a 1980 hurricane off Georges Bank which the government’s weather equipment failed to predict. Judge Joseph Tauro’s award…

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U.S. Weather Agency Held Liable in Storm Deaths

U.S. Weather Agency Held Liable In Storm Deaths By The Associated Press The New York Times December 22, 1984 BOSTON, Dec. 21 – A Federal district judge ruled today that the National Weather Service’s parent agency was liable for the death of three lobstermen lost at sea after forecasters failed to predict a storm 150…

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Captain’s Forgery After Sea Tragedy Ends in Payment

Captain’s Forgery After Sea Tragedy Ends in Payment Captain’s Forgery After Sea Tragedy Ends In Payment By Tim Sullivan Gloucester Daily Times November 29, 1977 A tiny, easily-overlooked alteration in a ship’s log has led to a court award of $2.75 million, the largest sum ever paid for injuries and damages in a marine law…

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