Posts tagged Maritime Accidents

• Cruise Ship May be Liable for On-Board Doctor's Negligence

  Michael Myers | April 02, 2006 12:47 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Traditionally, maritime rule provides that a cruise line should not be held liable for the negligence of its on board doctor. However, the Illinois Appellate Court disagreed with the rule. In a recent case, a passenger cut his foot and was treated by the ship's doctor. He then sued the cruise line for the doctor's negligence. The court reasoned that a passenger has no choice but to seek...

• Two People Drown in Lake Washington

  Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 11:34 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  An outing on Lake Washington turned deadly Wednesday evening when two people apparently drowned after jumping into the water from a small boat to cool off. A 34-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both from Seattle, were on the boat along with the man's 18-year-old cousin when the three decided to take a quick swim before heading to shore. The man and the woman drowned. Accidents like this...

• Alaska Crab Fishermen Back in the News

  Michael Myers | November 19, 2007 9:23 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  This summer we tried a case against the Wizard (one of the vessels shown on Disney's "Deadliest Catch" television series). Captain Keith Colburn was one of the witnesses in the case.The case arose from a career ending shoulder injury suffered by a crew member when he slipped and fell down the engine room stairs. We prevailed in court and established that the Wizard was negligent and...

• 207 Cruise Ship Incidents Reported to FBI in Last 6 Months

  Michael Myers | October 01, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  In April cruise lines adopted a new method of reporting crimes that happen at sea in an effort to establish a more definitive and standardized picture of crimes that happen at sea. Since April, cruise lines have reported 207 incidents to the FBI. Of those, 72 were considered to be potentially serious crimes by the FBI. 18 investigations were opened, 13 of those for rape. Cruise lines like...

• Four Killed in "Flightseeing" Plane Crash Near Ketchikan

  Mark McLean | August 24, 2007 12:55 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  A plane crash north of Ketchikan, Alaska killed four Holland America Line patrons on a "flightseeing" tour. Five other Holland America patrons were seriously injured. Three of the five survivors were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and are in critical condition. The plane was operated by SeaWind Aviation.Victims of the crash include Eric, Christine and (three year old)...

• First Crabbing Season With New Rules

  Michael Myers | June 12, 2006 6:40 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  The Seattle Times recently ran an article about the first crab season completed under a new harvest system intended to create a more profitable, less wasteful and safer crab fleet. According to the Times, the results are mixed. Perils still remain in harvesting crab in some of the world's most treacherous waters. And some crews were upset by a lower pay scale.Between 1980 and the winter of...

• Asking for Cruise Vouchers May Undermine Your Case

  Michael Myers | October 12, 2007 12:40 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Stop. Don't do it. I know it may be tempting, but if you have been injured while aboard a cruise don't write to the cruise line asking for free cruise vouchers. And don't accept vouchers for discounted or free cruises, drinks, photographs or souvenirs that cruise ships will sometimes offer you up-front as compensation for your injuries. Accepting these vouchers may waive your right to file...

• 2 Die When Fishing Boat Capsizes

  Chelsea Gilbert | September 10, 2007 12:03 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  On Sunday a Seattle fishing vessel, The Papa George, sank 12 miles off the Washington coast. Two of the vessels' crew members, David Starbuck, 62, and Ethel Zelaya, 37, died when the vessel capsized. Traveling in the skiff, the surviving crew came ashore at Long Beach at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, bringing the bodies of the two victims along with them. None of the survivors required...

• Cruise Ship Passengers Injured From Glacial Ice

  Mark McLean | August 16, 2007 3:18 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  18 passengers were injured when a cruise ship in the Arctic Ocean was hit with ice falling from a nearby glacier. Three passengers and a Russian crewman were flown to hospital in Tromso after the incident, which happened off the Svalbard Islands 300 miles north of Norway on Wednesday.Two of the passengers have serious but non-life-threatening injuries after being thrown around on the ship when...

• Coast Guard Skipper Out After Disaster on Icebreaker

  Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 8:51 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA Category: Miscellaneous
  

  The Coast Guard relieved the skipper of the Seattle-based icebreaker Healy of command Wednesday as it continues an investigation into the deaths of two divers from the ship. In replacing Capt. Douglas Russell, Vice Adm. Charles Wurster, who commands all Coast Guard operations in the Pacific from San Francisco headquarters, said he had "a loss of confidence in the officer's ability to...