Over 80 Combined Years Of Maritime Law Experience

Experienced Maritime Injury Attorneys For Claims Against Icicle Seafoods

If you are a crewman who has been injured working aboard the Gordon Jensen, Northern Victor or R.M. Thorstenson processing vessels, you may have claims for compensation under federal maritime law and the Jones Act. Maritime injury lawyer James Beard of Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, represents crewmen injured as a result of negligence or unseaworthiness. Mr. Beard does not represent Icicle Seafoods; he is always on the side of the injured crewman. Injured crewmen and fish processors working aboard Icicle’s vessels may elect to pursue compensation claims under the Jones Act and the general maritime law rather than accept Alaska workers’ compensation benefits.

Crewmen and fish processors working for even the best Alaska fishing companies sometimes suffer serious and permanent injuries. When injuries are caused by negligence or unseaworthiness, the crewman is entitled to receive fair compensation for his injuries and his loss of past and future wages.

Icicle Seafoods is one of the world’s largest seafood companies. Icicle Seafoods owns shoreside seafood processing plants throughout Alaska. The Gordon Jensen, R.M. Thorstenson and Northern Victor are at sea processing vessels. Icicle Seafoods also owns a fleet of ten commercial catcher fishing vessels that fish for Pollock and cod, including the Anita J, Storm Petrel, American Eagle, Progress, Ocean Hope 3, Patricia L, Commodore and Impala.

Representing Crewmen In Claims For Negligence And Unseaworthiness

The Jones Act is a federal maritime law that was passed in 1920 to protect the rights of injured seamen to pursue compensation against their employers. The Jones Act is a fault-based system; you must prove the vessel owner was negligent to recover under the Jones Act. However, the burden of proof under the Jones Act is minimal, and any negligence that contributes to your injury may form the basis of a Jones Act negligence claim.

Crewmen and fish processors who are injured by the negligence of the employer or a fellow crewman are entitled to claim compensation for any lost future wage-earning capacity, pain and suffering damages, and vocational retraining costs. The purpose of the enactment of the Jones Act was to liberally provide fair compensation to seamen injured through negligence. The Jones Act provides an expansion of then-existing maritime laws.

If you have questions about your rights to benefits and compensation under the Jones Act, contact an experienced maritime injury lawyer to discuss your claim.

We Know The Industry And The Law

Icicle, like all other Jones Act employers, owes a duty to their crewmen to provide a safe place to work. Crewmen must be properly trained in their jobs and properly supervised while working aboard a fish processing vessel. Proper equipment must be provided to the crewman to do his or her assigned job tasks, and that equipment must be properly designed and maintained to prevent avoidable injuries. Almost all injuries aboard fish processing vessels or catcher boats are preventable if proper training, equipment, and supervision are provided.

Preexisting injuries are not a defense to a Jones Act negligence claim. Federal maritime law also employs a system of comparative fault that recognizes there may be more than one cause of an injury accident.

Fish processors who work as crewmen on Alaska fishing vessels who are injured at work are also entitled to claim damages for maintenance and cure benefits. Cure is payment of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses associated or related to a shipboard injury so long as the treatment is curative in nature. Maintenance is a daily living allowance paid to injured crewmen and fish processors while they are recovering from their injuries. Maintenance and cure are no fault remedies; you do not have to prove fault to receive maintenance and cure benefits.

Contact The Premier Maritime Injury Law Firm Today

Attorney Beard and his partners at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, are trusted and well-respected maritime injury and Jones Act lawyers. They have over 80 years of combined experience and have been focused on representing injured fishermen and fish processors. They have successfully represented hundreds of injured crewmen.

To discuss your case, contact Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, by calling 425-403-1900 or filling out our contact form. We have won millions of dollars for injured fishermen, crewmen and processors throughout the Pacific Northwest.