Injury at Sea

Published on: January 20, 2026

What Are My Rights as an Injured Commercial Fisherman?

If you were hurt while working on a commercial fishing boat, you might have questions about your legal rights and protections. Unlike most land-based workers, commercial fishermen typically cannot access state workers’ compensation benefits. Instead, your rights fall under Federal Maritime Law and the Jones Act, legal frameworks specifically designed to protect maritime workers.

What Makes Federal Maritime Law Different?

Federal Maritime Law shares some similarities with traditional workers’ compensation systems, but it offers several distinct advantages for injured workers. When a commercial fisherman suffers an injury due to negligence or an unseaworthy vessel, they have legal recourse through both the Jones Act and General Maritime Law.

Published on: January 13, 2026

Maintenance and Cure Benefits Required for Cold Weather Injuries

by Nigel Stacey

January presents additional challenges for maritime personnel. The onset of icy conditions increases the risk associated with daily operations, making routine movements more hazardous and demanding heightened vigilance. Frozen equipment can fail when needed, and visibility drops during winter storms. The structural icing that builds up on vessels can affect stability in ways that turn a fishing trip or a tow into a life-threatening situation.

If you’ve been injured while working on a vessel during winter months, whether from a slip on an icy deck, equipment failure in freezing conditions, or any other cold-weather accident, you need to understand your rights under federal maritime law. The maintenance and cure doctrine exists precisely for moments like these, providing a safety net regardless of how or why the injury occurred.

Winter Brings Predictable Hazards

Published on: December 2, 2025

Fatigue Among Maritime Workers Presents a Significant Safety Concern at Sea

by Nigel Stacey

When most people think about dangerous jobs, they picture dramatic accidents such as explosions, falls, or machinery malfunctions. However, a significant yet often overlooked risk affecting America’s 400,000 maritime workers is chronic fatigue. This silent hazard can undermine safety across commercial fishing vessels, cargo ships, offshore platforms, and seafood processing facilities, contributing to an industry fatality rate nearly five times higher than the national average.

The maritime industry operates within unique and challenging environments. Unlike land based staff who typically complete their shifts and then go home, maritime workers often reside at their workplace for long stretches, sometimes lasting weeks or even months. The overlap of work and personal life can lead to ongoing fatigue that builds up over time. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Alaska’s seafood processing workers often face extremely long shifts of 12 to 18 hours, frequently working for weeks at a time without significant breaks.

What makes maritime fatigue especially dangerous is how it intersects with the industry’s inherent hazards. Commercial fishing consistently ranks among America’s deadliest professions. When you layer sleep deprivation onto already treacherous conditions involving heavy machinery, unpredictable weather, and physically demanding labor, the consequences can be catastrophic.

Published on: October 7, 2025

Maintenance and Cure: Your Medical Treatment Rights

by Nigel Stacey

If you’ve been injured or fallen ill while working on a vessel, you may be wondering who pays for your medical treatment and how you’ll cover your bills while you recover. Many injured maritime workers don’t realize they’re entitled to medical benefits even if the accident was their own fault. This no-fault benefit, known as “maintenance and cure,” is a fundamental right guaranteed to all seamen who become ill or injured while in service to a vessel.

What Is “Maintenance”?

Maintenance is a daily living allowance designed to cover your basic needs while you’re unable to work and recovering from your injury or illness. This isn’t charity, it’s your right under federal maritime law.

Published on: August 26, 2025

Meeting Fishing Vessel Safety Act Requirements: 2025-2026 Compliance Guide

by Nigel Stacey

Commercial fishing remains one of America’s most dangerous occupations, with fatality rates significantly higher than most other industries. The Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act, enacted following tragic losses at sea, establishes minimum safety requirements that can mean the difference between life and death. Here is a comprehensive guide for mariners to ensure compliance for 2025-2026.

Determine Your Vessel’s Classification

Establish which regulations apply to your operation. The Fishing Vessel Safety Act applies to commercial fishing vessels, with different requirements based on vessel size, operation area, and crew capacity. Documented vessels operating beyond the U.S. Boundary Line (the dividing point between internal and offshore waters) or carrying more than 16 persons face the most rigorous requirements, while smaller operations have modified standards. Check your vessel’s documentation and operating parameters against current U.S. Coast Guard classifications. This determines everything from equipment requirements to training obligations.

Published on: July 22, 2025

Injured Maritime Worker Medevaced to Honolulu

by Nigel Stacey

A 41-year-old crew member suffering from a fractured arm and possible head injury was successfully medevaced from a cargo ship located approximately 1,000 miles northeast of Oahu on July 19^th, 2025. The bold rescue, coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Honolulu, brought the injured mariner to safety after a multi-day transit.

The incident began around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17^th when JRCC Honolulu watchstanders received a call from Eastaway Ship Management. It was reported that a crew member aboard their 892-foot, Singapore-flagged cargo ship, the EA CHARA, had sustained a significant injury far out in the Pacific.

Following a consultation with a duty flight surgeon, who strongly recommended a medical evacuation, JRCC Honolulu established communication with the EA CHARA. This allowed them to monitor the patient’s condition as the cargo ship altered course and headed towards Oahu.

Published on: June 24, 2025

Tugboat Injury: Can the Jones Act Help Your Claim?

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

Tugboats are essential for guiding large vessels into ports, assisting with construction projects, and supporting many marine operations. The crews who navigate these powerful vessels face unique hazards daily, from treacherous weather and heavy machinery to long hours and unpredictable conditions. When accidents happen, and a tugboat worker is injured, it is imperative that the worker understand their legal rights and the specific protections available.

Unlike shore workers who are covered by state workers’ compensation laws, injured tugboat workers fall under a distinct and more favorable set of federal maritime laws. The most significant of these is the Jones Act. This landmark legislation, officially known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, offers a powerful legal avenue for injured seamen to seek compensation from their employers.

The Jones Act is Essential Protection

Published on: May 27, 2025

Jones Act Claims: What Your Employer Can and Cannot Do

by Nigel Stacey

The Jones Act, or the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, grants maritime workers the right to pursue a claim against their employer for negligence if an injury occurs during their employment. Unlike traditional workers’ compensation, the Jones Act is a fault-based statute. This means that to succeed in a claim, the injured worker must show that their employer’s negligence or the negligence of a fellow crewmember directly contributed to the injury.

What an Employer Can Do in a Jones Act Claim

Upon notification of a maritime injury, an employer is entitled to undertake several actions as part of their investigation and defense:

Published on: April 1, 2025

Air Station Sitka Helicopter Crew Rescues Woman from F/V Nekton

by Nigel Stacey

On March 26, 2025, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka successfully conducted a medevac of a 37-year-old woman experiencing a medical emergency in Sitka Sound, Alaska. The woman, who was aboard the fishing vessel NEKTON, required immediate medical attention.

The aircrew responded swiftly to the distress call. After arriving on the scene, they skillfully maneuvered the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter above the fishing vessel to safely execute the hoist operation. Despite challenges posed by the weather and the vessel’s movements, the U.S. Coast Guard team efficiently transported the patient aboard the aircraft.

Following the successful hoist, the helicopter crew transferred the woman to awaiting local emergency medical personnel in Sitka. The patient received further evaluation and care upon arrival, highlighting the seamless collaboration between the U.S. Coast Guard and local emergency responders.

Published on: March 18, 2025

Maritime Safety Standards: Every Worker Should Be Safe

by Nigel Stacey

When deckhand Carlos slipped and fell during a routine operation in rough seas, he fractured his arm and was unable to work for months. An investigation revealed inadequate safety protocols, insufficient training, and a lack of clear communication had contributed to the accident. Had the vessel implemented effective training, emphasized clear safety communication, and ensured crew engagement in safety planning, Carlos’s injury might have been prevented.

Owners, workers, families, and communities all want workers to be safe at sea. Yet cultivating a true culture of maritime safety doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a structured effort beginning at the organization’s highest levels then filtering down the chain of command.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) clearly defines an effective safety culture as one where safety is prioritized and managed as meticulously as any other crucial business function. Achieving a culture of safety requires following best practices for safety across the maritime industry.