Burn Victim Medevaced from Container Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted two burn victims on Aug. 4, one off the coast of Portland, Maine, as discussed in our previous blog post, and another off the coast of California. The latter incident involved a 55-year-old man being airlifted from the M/V JUPITER about 30 miles west of San Diego after he was seriously burned while trying to extinguish an engine room fire. The cause of the fire was unknown.

The victim, whose name was not immediately released, reportedly sustained third degree burns over most of his body. The Liberian-flagged container ship was en route to Mazatlan, Mexico, when the fire broke out, and other crewmembers reportedly were able to put out the blaze.

Severe burn injuries often require painful treatments and lengthy rehabilitation. Maritime workers who are seriously burned may be unable to return to work for weeks, months or even years. Unfortunately, burn injuries in the maritime industry are often the result of negligence, such as missing or defective equipment or lack of proper procedures. Fires, explosions, engine and boiler room accidents, flammable cargo, hot water and steam from pipes, and corrosive chemicals all can cause burns, and negligence increases a worker’s risk of sustaining a burn injury.

Latti & Anderson LLP has experience representing maritime burn injury victims. For example, our firm obtained a $4.5 million settlement for a plaintiff who sustained third degree burns while performing safety checks in a lower pipe tunnel on a container ship. Her injuries resulted from unlagged piping, boiling water, and water accumulation in the starboard escape trunk, all of which were unseaworthy conditions.

If you or your family member has suffered a serious burn injury while working in the maritime industry, visit our website to learn more about maritime burn injuries, and call us at (800) 392-6072 for a free consultation with a Boston maritime attorney.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Boston maritime trial lawyers