Alaska Coast Guard News
Many Jones Act and maritime injury cases start with the crewman being rescued by the United States Coast Guard. The men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard are real life Alaskan heroes. Each year the Coast Guard rescues crews off sinking vessels in Alaska, and medevacs injured and ill crewmen to shore for emergency medical treatment. Ship to shore medical advice from flight surgeons on duty 24 hours a day is available to Alaska commercial fishing vessels.
Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP’s maritime blogs and posts updates on Alaska Coast Guard news involving rescue cases of interest to the Alaska commercial fishing community. The Coast Guard news is often times the first notice that tragedy has struck a crewman on a fishing vessel.
Once the Coast Guard has completed the rescue, it is important that injured crewmen know their rights to compensation under Federal Maritime Law. The lawyers at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, have handled thousands of Alaska fishing accident cases and recovered millions of dollars in compensation for their clients located throughout the United States. Injured commercial fishermen are entitled to make claims for maintenance and cure, and are able to seek compensation for their injuries under the Jones Act and the Unseaworthiness Doctrine. The Jones Act injury lawyers at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, are the Alaska maritime lawyers commercial fishermen trust when there has been a serious accident working at sea.
The Coast Guard emphasizes to all commercial fishing vessels the need to be prepared for emergencies. Make sure your EPIRB, survival suits, and life rafts are properly serviced and in good repair. Every vessel should regularly practice abandon ship drills and survival procedures. It is imperative to have fully functioning and operable communication devices and backup communication devices are recommended. Crewmen working on decks of fishing vessels should always wear appropriate work vests and flotation devices.
Injuries happen to crewmen aboard even the best Alaska fishing vessels. It is the responsibility of a crewman’s employer and the vessel owner to get the injured crewman the medical care needed. Fishing profits should never be placed ahead of needed medical attention for an injured crewman.