On January 31, 2019 at approximately 10 p.m., the F/V SCANDIES ROSE sank near Sutwik Island, Alaska with seven crew members on board. According to a news release by the U.S. Coast Guard, two survivors were rescued and five crew members remain missing from the 130-foot crab fishing vessel. When…
Articles Posted in Commercial Fishing Injuries
King County Judge Finds American Seafoods Negligent for Crane Access on the F/T AMERICAN DYNASTY and Awards Damages to Injured Combination Worker
On September 5, 2018, in Hoffas v. American Seafoods Company, King County Superior Court Cause No. 17-2-01150-9 SEA, a King County Superior Court judge held that American Seafoods was “. . . negligent for failing to provide [the injured seaman] with a safe place to work on March 2, 2016…
10 Things to Know Before Going up to Alaska for “A Season”
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are over and you’re going back to work on a factory trawler up in Alaska for “A-Season.” Whether you’re a returning crew member or a greenhorn, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of your legal rights before going up to…
A Victory for American Seafoods Workers: Court Orders American Seafoods to Pay Increased Maintenance of Over $78 Per Day and Attorneys’ Fees to Injured Worker.
Maintenance is a daily stipend intended to cover the room-and-board expenses of a maritime worker injured in the service of a vessel, including seafood processing and deckhands on factory trawlers owned by American Seafoods Company. An injured worker is entitled to maintenance payments until the worker reaches maximum medical improvement…
Search For Missing F/V Exito Crew Called Off
On Friday, December 6, 2016, at 9:38 p.m., the crew of the F/V Exito contacted the U.S. Coast Guard reporting that they were taking on water 14 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor. Five crew members were aboard when the vessel sank and a nearby vessel, the Afognak Strait, was able…
Fisherman Injured on F/V BLUE NORTH in Bering Sea
On November 9, the U.S. Coast Guard received a request for a medevac from F/V BLUE NORTH, a Seattle-based fishing company, when a 41-year-old crew member sustained a neck injury while working on the vessel. Neck and spinal injuries can be serious and can lead to permanent disabilities. Due to…
F/T ALASKA JURIS CREW FORCED TO ABANDONED SHIP
According to news reports, 46 crew members were forced to abandoned ship when the Fishing Company of Alaska factory trawler F/T ALASKA JURIS began taking on water and sinking off the coast of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands yesterday. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified at 11:30 a.m. that the vessel was…
Federal Court Orders American Seafoods Company to Increase Maintenance Pay for Injured Workers.
On May 24, 2016, a federal court in Seattle rejected American Seafoods Company’s attempts to limit the maintenance rate to the $30 per day set forth in the employment contract. American Seafoods took the position that it would not pay our client more than the $30 per day set forth…
Fishing Vessel Eagle III Sinks at Entrance to Coos Bay
On January 19th, a commercial fishing boat, named the Eagle III, sank at the entrance to Coos Bay after colliding with the north jetty. The 40-foot crabbing boat, based out of Port Orford, Oregon, contained four members. The vessel’s captain is the only known survivor of the wreck, while the…
Injured Crew Recovery for Slippery Conditions on Deck
A vessel may be rendered unseaworthy because of improperly maintained surfaces that are slippery and are prone to cause injuries. Compare Nicroli v. Den Norske Afrika-Og Australielinie Wilhelmsens Dampskibs-Aktieselskab, 332 F.2d 651, 654 (2d Cir. 1964) (affirming finding of unseaworthiness where wet and melted sugar had made the deck slippery),…