Personal Injury
Four Crewmembers Taken to Hospitals with Burn Injuries
The StarNews reported that four crewmembers aboard THE STAR FRASER had to be taken to a hospital with chemical burns after the 614-foot freighter docked the state port in Wilmington, North Carolina. The individuals suffered the burns during a chemical leak aboard the ship while it was at sea. THE STAR FRASER was en route…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Attorneys Take Closer Look at Florida Inner Tube Accident
Boston Maritime Attorneys Take Closer Look at Florida Inner Tube Accident WSVN-TV reported that a 14-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy were injured in a boating accident on January 27. The girl was caught in the propeller of a boat after she fell off an inner tube in northern Biscayne Bay off the Julia Tuttle…
Read MoreBarge Strikes Bridge in ‘One of the Two Most Difficult Turns in the Mississippi River’
Barge Strikes Bridge in ‘One of the Two Most Difficult Turns in the Mississippi River’ The Associated Press reported that a tug was pushing two barges in a dangerous stretch of the Mississippi River on January 27 when one of the barges carrying 80,000 gallons of oil struck a railroad bridge and began leaking. The…
Read MoreSailboat Sinks After Being Struck by Tug and Barge in San Francisco
Two people had to be rescued after their sailboat collided with a tugboat near the Golden Gate Bridge and sank into the San Francisco Bay on January 26. KGO-TV reported that it was not clear how the two vessels collided or why they were so close. One of the people rescued was suffering from hypothermia.…
Read MoreFisherman Likely Drowned, But Foul Play Not Suspected
A construction worker discovered the body of 56-year-old commercial fisherman Carl Lewis that washed ashore north of the drawbridge in Chincoteague Island, Virginia on January 22, 2013. WITN-TV reported Lewis was last seen during dinner at a local restaurant the previous night. He was last working aboard the SUSAN ROSE, a privately owned fishing boat.…
Read MoreCoast Guard Airlifts Two Workers Injured on UK Tanker
Coast Guard Airlifts Two Workers Injured on UK Tanker The US Coast Guard issued a news release that stated its San Diego station conducted a medevac of two injured crewmembers from the ENERGY CONQUEROR, a United Kingdom-flagged tanker, on January 18, 2013. The two crewmembers, both Russian citizens, were injured when a cable split. According…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Trial Lawyers Discuss San Diego Whale Watching Tour Death, Passenger Injuries
Boston Maritime Trial Lawyers Discuss San Diego Whale Watching Tour Death, Passenger Injuries KGTV-TV reported that 85-year-old Mary Ann Lanyon died after falling down some stairs on the MARIETTA, a 100-foot two-deck tour boat operated by San Diego Harbor Excursions. Lanyon’s husband, Wally was too upset to speak on camera with KGTV, but called the…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Attorneys Emphasize Investigation in Recreational Boating Accidents
Boston Maritime Attorneys Emphasize Investigation in Recreational Boating Accidents A 35-year-old woman died after being crushed between a boat and the MacArthur Causeway on the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami, Florida. WTVJ-TV reported that Janette Africano was on an 18-foot vessel being operated by 35-year-old Javier Lorente on January 12, 2012. The boat was southbound when…
Read MoreTwo Bridges Struck by Tanker, Tow Boat on Same Day
Vessels struck bridges in two separate incidents on January 7, 2013. This video shows some of the damage after an empty oil tanker sideswiped a tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California. The US Coast Guard warned the 752-foot OVERSEAS REYMAR that it was off course before the ship scraped a 30-to-40-foot section of…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Trial Lawyers Review Recent Fishing Accidents
Boston Maritime Trial Lawyers Review Recent Fishing Accidents The Star-News reported that the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission’s Division of Law Enforcement investigators are calling the January 5, 2013, death of 34-year-old Wilmington resident Jeremy Myers a commercial fishing accident. Myers was net boat fishing off the coast of Oak Island when he became entangled…
Read MoreFeds Allege Employee Who Attacked Captain Put Towboat, Crew at Risk
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that federal prosecutors said a towboat worker’s attack on his captain on the MIRANDA PAIGE put the towboat traveling up the Mississippi River and its crew at risk. An affidavit filed by Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agent Roger St. Germaine Jr. said that 30-year-old David Donnell Roberts pulled the…
Read MoreSEASTREAK Ferry Accident Injures 57 Passengers, One Critically
This New York Post video discusses the SEASTREAK WALL STREET commuter ferry that crashed into a pier in lower Manhattan on January 9, 2013. The New York Police Department said 57 people were injured, one of them critically. A spokesman for the New York Fire Department told the New York Times that the cause of…
Read MoreMan Pinned Between Forklift and Loading Dock Suffers Serious Leg, Foot Injuries
Messenger Post Newspapers (MPN) reported that 36-year-old Jeremy Bittner sustained major injuries to his lower right leg and right foot in a loading dock accident that occurred the day after Christmas. Police told MPN that Bittner works for Admar Supply Company in Rochester, New York, and was returning a forklift to SwiftLift in Victor, New…
Read More‘Challenging Rescue’ of Seaman Injured on Bulk Freighter
‘Challenging Rescue’ of Seaman Injured on Bulk Freighter The Canadian daily newspaper The Province reported that a seaman injured on a ship off the coast of British Columbia was rescued December 13, 2012, in a “challenging” operation by a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) helicopter rescue team. The crewmember was performing maintenance below deck on…
Read MoreCoast Guard Suspends Search for Two Fishermen Presumed Lost at Sea
Coast Guard Suspends Search for Two Fishermen Presumed Lost at Sea This video from WCVB-TV discusses a rescue capsule discovered in a Saugus marsh. The Gloucester Times reported that the pod, marked Foxy Lady II on the side, was found around the same time that the US Coast Guard (USCG) called off the night’s search…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Trial Lawyers Encourage All Boaters to Celebrate Responsibly
Boston Maritime Trial Lawyers Encourage All Boaters to Celebrate Responsibly During the holiday season, numerous advocacy groups and public service announcements call attention to the dangers of drunk driving. However, with tonight being New Year’s Eve and alcohol being consumed on boats as well as on land, it is important to remember that boating under…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Attorneys Examine Crushed Arm Accident, Dock Worker Dangers
Boston Maritime Attorneys Examine Crushed Arm Accident, Dock Worker Dangers A dock accident in Western Australia on December 15, 2012, calls attention to some of the extraordinary dangers maritime workers face on a daily basis. The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) told the Brusselton-Dunsborough Mail that a man’s arm was crushed while working at the…
Read More‘How Long Will It Take to Settle My Jones Act Case?’
‘How Long Will It Take to Settle My Jones Act Case?’ Many clients have an understandable concern about how long it will take to settle their Jones Act cases. Because a variety of maritime injuries and circumstances are involved in a Jones Act case, resolution times vary. Some Jones Act cases can be settled in…
Read MoreCrewmember Injured Because of Poor Communication with Machinery Operator
An article in the January 2013 issue of National Fisherman magazine provides a detailed account of an accident this past February in the Bering Sea. The story demonstrates one of the most common causes of maritime accidents: a machinery operator on deck failing to make sure an area is clear and no crewmember is in…
Read MoreOne Man Killed in Recreational Boat Accident on Atlantic Ocean
One man died in a recreational boat collision on December 8, 2012, in the Atlantic Ocean about a mile and a half south of Long Branch, New Jersey. The Princeton Patch reported that 31-year-old Eric Kim died after his 18-foot pleasure craft was struck by the NO SURRENDER, a 36-foot pleasure craft piloted by 44-year-old…
Read MoreJones Act Lawyers Explain How Federal Law for Seamen Differs from Workers Compensation
If seamen or maritime workers sustain injuries because of slip and falls, line breaks or other accidents resulting from employer’s negligence while working on a vessel, the Jones Act and general maritime law allows these individuals to pursue compensation that can be more substantial than workers’ compensation. The Jones Act and general maritime law not…
Read MoreDrunk Boating Accidents Cause Damage Across Country
Earlier this month, we discussed the role that alcohol can play in some cruise ship injuries, but it is important to remember that operating under the influence is also a common cause of recreational boating accidents. Two recent stories in separate areas of the country demonstrate how piloting a private vessel while intoxicated not only…
Read MoreCrewmember Falls to Death on Cargo Ship in Thunder Bay Port
A crew member on the bulk carrier TECUMSEH died in the early morning hours of December 1, 2012, while the grain ship was docked in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Sources told the Chronicle Journal that it appeared the man slipped and fell into one of the boat’s grain holds. CBC News reported that the man…
Read MoreMaritime Amputation Victim? Jones Act Attorneys Have Recovered Millions
Suffering an injury on the water which requires the amputation of any part of your body is devastating. For the injured party, not only does the person have to deal with the physical pain but with the psychological aspect of losing a part of your body which can be overwhelming. It is very important with…
Read MoreUVA Student Killed by Boat Propeller While Snorkeling on Final Stop of ‘Semester at Sea’
Casey Schulman was a University of Virginia (UVA) senior who was studying abroad as part of the school’s “Semester at Sea” program. The Washington Post reported that the 22-year-old spent 14 weeks visiting London, Portugal, Africa and the Amazon. On December 1, 2012, Schulman and other students were snorkeling during the ship’s final stop on…
Read MoreBoston Maritime Trial Lawyers Discuss Spate of Florida Boating Accidents During Thanksgiving Weekend
Boston Maritime Trial Lawyers Discuss Spate of Florida Boating Accidents During Thanksgiving Weekend This video from ABC News discusses the large wave that hit the CORAL PRINCESS on Thanksgiving day, capsizing the 45-foot catamaran and throwing 21 passengers and two crewmembers in to the waters off Pompano Beach, Florida. The Sun-Sentinel reported that 54-year-old Nina…
Read MoreBarge Accident Kills Worker on Mississippi River
Barge Accident Kills Worker on Mississippi River This WISN-TV video reports on a crane accident on a barge in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, that killed 35-year-old Joseph Bidler in July 2012. The Oshkosh Northwestern reported that it was the second crane fatality to occur during US Highway 41 construction this year, and Lunda Construction was at risk of…
Read MoreCarolyn Latti, David Anderson Among 2012 Top Maritime Law Attorneys in Professional Mariner Magazine
The Boston maritime trial lawyers at Latti Associates LLC were named in the 2012 Top Maritime Law Attorneys for the December/January double issue of Professional Mariner magazine. The article noted that Carolyn Latti and David Anderson “work on cases across the country and all over the world[,] and have successfully taken on huge multinational corporations.”…
Read MoreShipyard Worker Killed in Galveston Backhoe Accident
The Galveston County Daily News reported on November 6, 2012, that a 40-year-old contract employee was killed while operating a backhoe from outside the cab at Southwest Shipyard, L.P. on Pelican Island (seen in this video). John Florence of the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office told the Daily News that the crew was digging a…
Read MoreBoston Ferry Accident One of Many Reasons for Concern
Boston Ferry Accident One of Many Reasons for Concern Three stories about ferry accidents within a week’s time call attention to the dangers that not only passengers face on these ships, but crewmembers as well. On November 2, 2012, the Bellingham Herald reported that an Alaska Marine Highway ferry ramp operator was injured after a…
Read MoreUSCG Calls Off Search for Captain of Capsized Ship Near Cape Cod
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) issued a news release on November 18, 2012, announcing that it suspended its search (seen in this video) for a fisherman after the 42-foot F/V TWIN LIGHTS capsized approximately two miles north of Provincetown, Massachusetts, at around 11:30 a.m. that morning. The Provincetown Banner reported that 69-year-old Captain Jean…
Read MoreFisherman Saves Life of Woman Who Fell Off Pier After Railing Broke
This video shows Frenchman Bay in Bar Harbor, Maine, during a calmer, more serene time of year. The Mount Desert Islander reported that the waters were much chillier on the afternoon of October 25, 2012, when an unidentified woman fell from a town pier into the Bay. Bar Harbor Police Chief Nate Young told the…
Read MoreSecond Norovirus Outbreak on Celebrity Constellation This Year Leaves Hundreds Ill
BBC News reported on November 6, 2012, that the Celebrity Cruises vessel CELEBRITY CONSTELLATION delayed its departure from Southampton, England, after a suspected outbreak of norovirus. The United Kingdom’s Southern Daily Echo reported that a spokesman for Celebrity Cruises said that “a small number of guests experienced a gastrointestinal type illness,” but BBC reported that…
Read MoreFishing Workers Have Highest Rate of Fatal Injury, BLS Says
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…
Read MoreMan Killed in California Shipyard Accident
A shipyard accident at the Port of Oakland in California lead to the death of a 51-year-old worker, according to NBC News. The accident occurred on October 25 when a crane crushed the man to death in the shipyard. Two workers were attempting to adjust a trolley that was holding the crane when one worker,…
Read MoreFishermen Jump Overboard in Ship Fire
Two fishermen are thankful to be alive after their trawler sank in the Irish Sea, according to sources in England. Skipper Stephen Kearney and another fisherman had to jump overboard after their ship caught fire. The pair were rescued by another vessel approximately 12 miles off the coast of Kilkeel. The men were airlifted to…
Read MoreFerry’s Crew Criticized for Emergency Response
A recent ferry accident near Lamma Island in Asia claimed the lives of 27 people and injured many more, and now the conditions and emergency protocols of the Hong Kong Harbor are being questioned. A vessel carrying companies on an employee pleasure-cruise to watch fireworks collided with a passenger ferry. Hong Kong has long served…
Read MoreOSHA Breaks Down Fatal Shipyard Accidents
This video from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes a look at some fatal shipyard accidents—how they occurred, what caused them and how they could have been prevented. This video does a great job of showing the very real dangers faced by shipyard workers every day, as well as…
Read MoreRescuers Recover Body of Airman Killed in Boating Accident
Rescue divers in Florida recovered the body of a 20-year-old airman who was killed in a boating accident on October 21, according to the Pensacola News Journal. The victim was identified by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office as Colby Siegel. According to Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Siegel was…
Read MoreCruise Ship Performs Emergency Maintenance
P&O Cruises’ VENTURA ship sustained damage that required emergency repair in the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean in October, according to NBC News. The cruise ship was carrying 3,100 passengers when a crack was discovered approximately two inches wide above the water line below the pool deck, according to reports. Apparently, the weld…
Read MoreFisherman Critically Injured Aboard Vessel
A Massachusetts fisherman was rushed to the hospital after he fell 14 feet from a ladder to a deck on his boat in September, according to the Gloucester Times. The fisherman was working on the VENTURE fishing vessel at the time of the accident and was rushed by paramedics to the Lahey Clinic in Burlington.…
Read MoreSpecial Interest Groups Requests Records from Boating Accident
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is requesting to see the records of a Montana boating accident in 2009 involving U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg, according to the Missoulian. The accident occurred at Flathead Lake, and the group suspects the records may contain information that the public has a right to know concerning the…
Read MoreOne Killed in Mississippi Fishing Accident
Mark Barhanovich, 54, died in a boating accident near his home in Biloxi, Mississippi, according to the SunHerald.com. Barhanovich was out on a 23-foot fishing boat when he accidently struck a submerged object in the Mississippi Sound. Following the collision, the motor ripped off the stern and flew into the boat, striking Barhanovich in the…
Read MoreFishing Accident Victim Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury
Jamie Hilton, 36, was injured this summer on a fishing trip in Hell’s Canyon, Idaho after she fell 12 feet and hit her head, according to the Huffington Post. Hilton, a former Mrs. Idaho, had to have an emergency surgery in which doctors removed 25 percent of her skull, storing it under her abdomen until…
Read MoreAlcohol Suspected Factor in North Carolina Boating Accident
Alcohol Suspected Factor in North Carolina Boating Accident Officials are still investigating a boating accident in North Carolina that left passengers with multiple injuries, according to officials. The accident occurred in the early morning hours of October 5, in the Intracoastal Waterway off the coast of Wrightsville Beach. A 20-foot boat collided with an 18-foot…
Read MoreThirty-Eight Killed in Hong Kong Ferry Accident
A boating accident in Hong Kong killed 38 people on October 3, according to sources. A ferry owned by Hong Kong and Kowloon Holdings collided with a vessel. The ferry was damaged but managed to make it to port. The vessel, the LAMMA IV, was half submerged and retrieved by a salvage crew. Approximately 100…
Read MoreTips for Preventing Falls in the Maritime Industry
This week we’ve been discussing maritime deaths involving falls overboard. Maritime workers can be seriously injured or killed in any kind of fall accident, including falls overboard, slip or trip and falls, falls from a height, falls on the same level, or falls on steps. It is important for maritime employers to have proper procedures…
Read MoreM/V Matisse Crewmember Lost at Sea
The U.S. Coast Guard received a call on April 21 around 12:50 a.m. that a crewmember aboard the M/V MATISSE had fallen overboard in rough seas near the mouth of the Columbia River on the border of Oregon and Washington. He was wearing a yellow work helmet when he fell, but no life jacket. Conditions…
Read MoreTugboat Captain Dies After Falling Overboard
The body of Brendan O’Leary, 48, of Marblehead, Mass., was found on May 5 approximately four miles south of Montauk Point. He had been missing since April 25, when he fell overboard from the 91-foot STEPHEN-SCOTT approximately nine miles off the coast of Newport, R.I. Because there were no witnesses, the U.S. Coast Guard has…
Read MoreDeadly Drunk Boating Accidents
In Wednesday’s blog post, we discussed the drunk boating controversy currently surrounding Maryland State Delegate Don Dwyer. According to media reports, Dwyer allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration of .2 when he was piloting a motorboat that collided head-on with another recreational vessel. Fortunately, no one was killed in the Aug. 22 accident. All too…
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