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…
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…
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…
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…
Despite the deaths of 131 commercial fishermen from 2000 to 2009, the regulation of fishing vessel safety is very limited, in part, due to a strong commercial fishing lobby. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), half of these fishermen died from vessel disasters and another…
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled en banc yesterday in Dean v. The Fishing Company of Alaska, Inc., a case involving wrongful termination of a seaman’s right to maintenance and cure. The court ruled that where a seaman’s maintenance and cure have been cut off by the vessel owner, the…
Fish processors working on fishing vessels in Alaska work long hours under difficult working conditions. Unfortunately, hand and arm injuries are common in the Alaska fishing industry. The hands of fish processors or fishermen can get caught in moving Baader processing equipment, augers, unguarded machinery, bait choppers, conveyor belts, cut…
Fish processors on factory trawlers work long hours under difficult and often dangerous conditions. Injuries are common and can change your life forever. In the wake of an injury, it is important that a fish processor understand the important differences between the Jones Act and Alaska state workers’ compensations laws. …