Ilwaco And Westport Commercial Fishing Injury Lawyer
Maritime injury lawyer James Beard and his partners at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, represent injured Ilwaco and Westport commercial fishermen. If you have been injured working as a crewman on a Washington commercial fishing vessel, you have the right to claim compensation under federal maritime law including the Jones Act. If you have questions about your legal rights to compensation as a commercial fisherman, contact Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, for a free initial consultation at 425-403-1900.
Our legal team understands fishermen, their jobs and their injuries. With over 80 combined years of experience, our attorneys represent commercial fishermen injured in Alaska, Washington and Oregon. We have represented families of crewmen lost when the Aleutian Enterprise, Arctic Rose and Alaska Ranger sank in the Bering Sea. We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for his clients located throughout the country. We understand how injury accidents happen aboard commercial fishing vessels, and he knows how those accidents could have been prevented.
Never accept blame for an injury accident that wasn’t your fault.
Federal Maritime Injury Claims Under The Jones Act For Injured Crewmen
If you have been injured on an Ilwaco or Westport fishing vessel, our attorneys are available to meet with you to discuss your claims and rights to compensation. In almost all cases, when you suffer an injury working on a commercial fishing vessel you are entitled to have all your reasonable and necessary medical bills paid. You should receive a daily living allowance from your employer called maintenance. It is your right under federal maritime law to claim this compensation, and it is the duty of your employer to pay the benefits.
If you have been injured as a result of negligence or unseaworthiness, you have the right to claim compensatory damages for pain and suffering, lost past and future wages, loss of enjoyment of life, and to seek vocational retraining costs. Don’t guess about the value of your claim. Never sign a settlement agreement without first discussing the release with an experienced maritime lawyer.
You Need A Qualified Lawyer To Represent You
Every commercial fisherman who has been seriously injured should understand their basic rights and have a qualified maritime injury lawyer representing them. Comparative fault is not a bar to compensatory damages under Federal maritime law. You can receive compensation for aggravation of a preexisting medical condition. The Federal maritime law protects all seamen from the captain of the boat to the lowest deckhand.
As a seaman, your employer owes you a duty to provide you with a safe place to work. An employer must use reasonable care to protect their crewmen from injury. The employer must provide safe equipment, proper training, keep the vessel properly prepared and provide a competent and adequate crew. Catching a few more fish isn’t worth the risk of a permanent injury or the loss of a crewman’s life.
You Have Rights — We Can Enforce Them
A vessel owner must provide you with a seaworthy vessel. To be seaworthy, a vessel must be reasonably fit for its intended purpose. A vessel must be properly maintained and repaired. The vessel must have proper safety procedures and be equipped with lifesaving equipment. The crew should be regularly drilled in abandon ship procedures.
Westport is one of the country’s leading commercial fishing ports and is second-ranked on the West Coast, following closely behind Newport, Oregon. Fishermen from Westport and Ilwaco still work in derby-style commercial fisheries where it is a race to see which boat can catch the most salmon or crab before the season quota is met. This type of fishery can result in vessels working in weather conditions that are too rough, overworking crews, and neglecting vessel repairs.
Contact Us For A Free Case Evaluation
When crewmen suffer injuries through the fault of the vessel owner or the employer, they are entitled to fair compensation for their injuries. No crewman should have to suffer a lifelong injury to make the vessel a few extra dollars.
If you have questions about your right to compensation for an injury aboard an Ilwaco or Westport commercial fishing vessel, call James Beard and his partners at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, to discuss your claim at 425-403-1900. You can also reach us online. Let our experienced team put their 80 combined years of maritime experience representing injured commercial fishermen to work for you.