A U.S. Coast Guard received a call around 10:15 a.m. from a crewmember aboard a lobster boat requesting aid. A 41-year-old lobsterman had been impaled with knife around 130 miles east of Cape Cod. The man ended up being rescued by helicopter and taken to the hospital.
Common Causes of Lobster Fishing Accidents
Lobstermen don’t quite have it easy while at sea. Commercial lobster fishermen are at risk for net entanglement, falls overboard, rough weather, amputation risks and drowning. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), at least 11 percent of all fatalities within the lobster fishing industry was caused by falls overboard. Of those accidents, more than 5 percent were caused by being pushed or pulled overboard by the lobster fishing gear. Other causes of accidents include:
- Fishing equipment failure
- Lack of safety equipment on board
- Unsafe weather conditions
- Slip and fall accidents
- Getting limbs caught in lines, blocks, haulers and winches
- Crush injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Crewmember inexperience
- Failure to maintain equipment
Consult a Maritime Attorney If You Have Experienced a Lobster Fishing Accident
Employers and lobster boat operators have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment, in spite of all the challenges in the fishing industry. They must require all crewmembers to wear personal flotation devices (PFDs), work to decrease the likelihood of gear entanglement, train the crew, identify and implement effective recovery methods should a lobsterman fall overboard.
If your employer fails to do so and you suffer an injury as a result, contact a maritime attorney immediately who can explain your rights and work to ensure you have what you need to recover.
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As maritime attorney Carolyn Latti explains, we offer free consultations.
Latti Associates LLC is a maritime injury law firm that fights for workers injured at sea.
Source: http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20160830/NEWS/160839952
