Crewman Suffers Serious Hand Injury Aboard PACIFIC GLACIER.

Early Friday a fish processor suffered a serious hand injury while working aboard the fish processing vessel PACIFIC GLACIER. The crewman was medivaced from the vessel by a Coast Guard Helicopter. The 46-year old crewman, Mamadou Konato, was working 40 miles southwest of Coos Bay aboard the 276-foot PACIFIC GLACIER when the accident occurred. Under Federal Safety Regulations, the Coast Guard is charged with the duty to investigate all serious accidents involving crewmen working aboard fishing vessels.

The Fishing Vessel Safety Act requires certain machinery aboard fish processing vessels to be guarded for protection of crewmen. Hand injuries are all too frequent on fishing boats. Factors that may contribute to such accidents include lack of proper safety guards, lack of training, negligence of fellow crewmen, unseaworthy vessels, fatigue. Every maritime employer owes his crewman a safe place to work.

Crewmen who are injured on fishing vessels have a right to benefits under Federal Maritime Law including the Jones Act. Injured seamen have the right to select their own doctors and to get specialized treatment in the cases of serious injuries.

Beard Stacey & Jacobsen is one of the most experienced maritime law firms in the nation handling fish processor injury claims. They have extensive experience in representing crewmen who have suffered serious hand injuries. They have handled thousands of Jones Act injury claims for fishermen located throughout the country.