FISHERMEN

In most circumstances, fishermen are Jones Act / general maritime law seamen, with equivalent rights to those of merchant mariners, regardless of whether the fisherman is actively engaged in fishing, vessel operations or processing below deck.



Fully 50% of our clients are fishermen. We often see fishermen who come to us completely unaware of their rights under Federal law as a Jones Act / general maritime law seaman. In general, all that is required to qualify is a connection to a vessel in navigation, either at sea or inland waters or, oftentimes, tied up to a dock, and employment that, in some way, furthers the mission of the vessel.

Like their merchant mariner counterparts, fishermen may qualify for Jones Act / general maritime law benefits, including the right to recover for loss of earnings, future loss of earnings, pain and suffering, medical treatment and a living expense while under treatment, known as "maintenance." In cases where we represent the injured fisherman, our job is to determine what benefits you may be entitled to and the amount of benefits you may recover in appropriate circumstances.



We represent fishermen on vessels where there may only be a crew of one and, in the case of factory trawlers, 200 or more. We have many clients who are on vessels where the crew consists of two or three individuals, including seiners, skiffs, small trawl operations, and small long liners.



We represent fishermen who work above and below deck, or in the wheelhouse. We have many fishermen who are injured while engaged in processing operations, and we have "fishermen" who do nothing but work as processors aboard vessels.
Fishermen are often unaware of their rights. Sometimes, claims agents, or even boat owners or employers, are unaware of the rights of the injured crewmember. And, sometimes, boat owners or employer's representatives may be aware of these rights, but fail to inform the injured fisherman of what they are entitled to.




We have seen fishermen who have been told they are "workers compensation" claimants when, in fact, the fisherman will qualify for federal benefits as a Jones Act / general maritime law seaman. In many circumstances, although not all cases, the benefits payable under Federal law far exceed benefits payable under a State workers compensation program. For example, State workers compensation programs often do not allow an injured fisherman to sue for pain and suffering, or for future unlimited disability.



Most often, a short, no-obligation initial consultation by telephone with just a few minutes of questions can provide sufficient information to determine whether a fisherman qualifies for benefits under Federal law. Sometimes, consultation with a legal representative is discouraged by a boat owner or employer who is not interested in an injured fisherman knowing what his or her rights are. A fully-informed injured fisherman may result in a larger financial loss to the boat owner or employer. Many fishermen's organizations belong to mutual insurance associations where funds have been set aside for the express purpose of compensating injured fishermen under Federal, not State, law.



If you are a fisherman and you have been injured, and you wish to know what your rights are, we may be able to help you with a limited, no-obligation initial telephone consultation. We have fishermen clients all over the world; in fact, many of our clients reside in Mexico, Alaska, some southern states, and, of course, Washington, Oregon and California. We are often able to represent fishermen by bringing claims against Seattle-based companies or companies doing business in the Western District of Washington, with our clients having to visit here for a limited number of activities related to their claim. In appropriate circumstances, we will advance the costs related to pursuing the claim, with costs being paid back out of the final settlement.

Call us for a no-obligation initial telephone consultation.