In a news release issued on October 25, 2012, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said that private industry employers reported nearly 3 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses last year. This resulted in an incidence rate of 3.5 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers in 2011, and marked the first time in a decade that the rate was unchanged from the previous year. According to the BLS, total recordable cases injury and illness incidence rate among private  industry employers declined significantly each year since 2002, when estimates were first  published using current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for recording occupational injuries and illnesses.

Fishers and related fishing workers had the highest fatal work injury rate of any occupation in 2011, according to the BLS report. The fatal work injury rate for fishers and fishing workers was 121.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. The rate for logging workers was second highest at 102.4, and aircraft pilots and flight engineers were third highest with a rate of 57.0.

Farming, fishing and forestry occupations also had the highest all-worker fatal injury rate of any major civilian occupation group in 2011, according to the BLS report. The 25.4 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers was over 60 percent higher than the next highest rate of 15.3 for transportation and material moving occupations.

This video contains a number of images demonstrating some of the rough conditions that workers can face on the high seas, but many seamen deaths are the result of unseaworthy vessels and/or negligent actions. Latti & Anderson LLP pursues compensation for the families of loved ones who were killed because of defective equipment, improper procedures or failure to comply with federal regulations. Our Boston maritime attorneys have been representing families of seamen killed in accidents on vessels for more than a half-century.

Fishing accidents can occur on a variety of vessels, and you could be entitled to compensation if you were injured or a loved one was killed on the water. You can find more information about recourse for wrongful death in maritime accidents on our website, and you can use the form on this page to have our Jones Act lawyers review your case or contact our firm at (800) 392-6072 to set up an appointment.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Jones Act attorneys