Maritime Law
Hyak Ferry Crash Caused by Captain and Trainee Error, According to Investigators
The September Hyak ferry accident that sunk a 27-foot sailboat on the Salish Sea outside Washington State was caused by human error and inattentiveness of the ferry captain and second mate who was in training at the time of the accident. According to an investigation done by Washington State Ferries, the collision between the 382-foot…
Read MoreBoat Operator in Fatal Hudson River Crash Admitted to Drinking, Officials Say
Boat Operator in Fatal Hudson River Crash Admitted to Drinking, Officials Say [ubermenu-map address=”Tappan Zee Bridge, New York” zoom=”14″ width=”375px” height=”375px”] A prosecutor said in court on November 20 that the man accused of causing a boat accident on the Hudson River in July, killing a bride-to-be and her fiancé’s best man, admitted to “drinking…
Read MoreOur Maritime Attorneys Help Victims of Drunken Boating Accidents
The case against a man charged with killing two boys in a June 2012 boating accident has been delegated to a jury. Paul Bennett, the boat operator at the time of the accident, is facing charges of homicide by vessel, failure to render aid, reckless operation and boating under the influence. On July 18, 2012,…
Read MoreMaritime Trial Lawyer: Boat Operator in Fatal Hudson River Accident Charged in 18-Count Indictment
The operator of a boat involved in a Hudson River accident that killed a bride-to-be and her fiancé’s best man in July was charged in an 18-count indictment on November 7. The driver, 35-year-old JoJo John, is facing counts of first-degree vehicular manslaughter (2), second-degree vehicular manslaughter (4), second-degree manslaughter (2), criminally negligent homicide (2),…
Read MoreWall Street Ferry Crash Victims Reach Settlement
Almost $1 million in damages were awarded this month to victims of the Wall Street ferry accident that occurred January. Ferry operation company SeaStreak settled 40 of the 45 claims against them. Four additional claims were filed in early November. Victims of the ferry accident have filed claims for injuries like knee injuries, shoulder damage…
Read MoreSeaman Sues Shipping Company after Barge Accident
A New Orleans seaman is suing his employer after being injured in a barge accident. According to the lawsuit, the vessel worker was on board the M/V Jean Laffitte when a collision occurred between the vessel and a barge, allegedly as a result of the ship captain’s negligence. The plaintiff suffered severe injuries to his…
Read MorePentwater Man Dies in Barge Accident on Lake Michigan
A 37-year-old man was killed on board a barge on Lake Michigan in a work accident on November 3. The barge P.M. 41 was heading north on the lake around 11:45 a.m. when the U.S. Coast Guard got a call about an employee dying in a conveyor belt accident on deck. According to the Coast…
Read MoreNationwide Maritime Trial Lawyer: Carnival Cruise Ship Accidents
A recent string of accidents has occurred aboard Carnival cruise ships. On October 23, a 52-year-old woman on board the Carnival Sensation fell in an elevator and broke both of her legs. The Coast Guard Air Station Miami hoisted the woman off the ship via helicopter and took her to a nearby medical center. At…
Read MoreLawmakers Concerned About Large Cruise Ship Dangers
In an interview with The New York Times, lawmakers expressed concern about the overwhelming size of cruise ships and the dangers they present for both passengers and crews. According to the articles, safety experts, regulators and lawmakers are worried about the oversight and enforcement that cruise ships do not have. A string of accidents that…
Read MoreNationwide Maritime Trial Lawyer: One Dead after Missouri River Barge Accident
A man succumbed to injuries sustained in a barge accident on the Missouri River on October 24. The man had been riding in a johnboat a day earlier when his vessel was struck by a barge being pushed by a towboat. After the collision, crewmembers of another nearby towboat rushed to rescue the man who…
Read MoreCarnival Cruise Ship Worker Killed in Accident at New Orleans Port
Carnival Cruise Ship Worker Killed in Accident at New Orleans Port A Carnival cruise ship worker was killed while working on the outside of the Carnival Conquest in a New Orleans port on October 20. The worker was killed while operating a man lift, a piece of equipment that raises workers up to the exterior…
Read MoreOur Nationwide Maritime Trial Lawyers Help Those Injured in Ferry Accidents
A recent ferry accident in Sydney, Australia injured eight people on October 7, reminding us that ferries have a high potential for collisions when waters are rough. The vessel operating in Sydney hit a support structure at Wharf 5 off the Paramatta River, injuring eight people including two adults and a child that suffered from…
Read MoreNo-Boating Zones Established on the Hudson River
The U.S. Coast Guard has established no-boating zones on the Hudson River due to construction on the Tappan Zee Bridge, where an accident that killed two people and injured three others occurred in July. However, the area where boats will no longer be allowed does not include the actual area where the accident occurred. On…
Read MoreRough Waters: Life Rafts Saving Lives
Life rafts, and also life boats, are small, rigid or inflatable boats that are stored on ships for emergency evacuations. Commercial ships are required by law to store life rafts, while recreational sailors will often carry inflatable rafts, though some may have small lifeboats. For most commercial ships, life rafts are fitted with a quick-release…
Read MoreFerry Captain on Leave After Sinking Sailboat
The captain and second mate of the Hyak ferry that sank a sailboat on the Salish Sea on September 13 are officially on leave as the investigation continues. Jack Gray was riding in his sailboat when the 382-foot Hyak ferry crashed into and sank his boat. Both Gray and his dog were stuck at sea…
Read More6-Year-Old Drowns in Carnival Cruise Ship Swimming Pool
6-Year-Old Drowns in Carnival Cruise Ship Swimming Pool A six-year-old boy drowned in a pool aboard a Carnival cruise ship, according to a statement released by Carnival Cruise Lines on October 14. The young boy drowned on October 13 in a midship pool aboard the Carnival Victory. His family and friends were near the pool…
Read MoreSurvival Suits: What They’re For and How They Work
Survival suits, also known as immersion suits, are a special type of waterproof suit that protect fishermen and others at sea from hypothermia when immersed in cold water. Typically, someone at sea would wear these suits when abandoning a sinking or capsized vessel. The suits have built-in boots, a hood and gloves. Survival suits come…
Read More13-Year-Old Injured after Massachusetts Boating Accident
13-Year-Old Injured after Massachusetts Boating Accident A 13-year-old boy was critically injured on September 2 when he was struck by a boat while tubing with friends at the Hingham Yacht Club. The boy was riding a tube being pulled by a motorboat with two other teenage friends in a designated water skiing and tubing area…
Read MoreBody Found After Tennessee Boating Accident on J. Percy Priest Lake
Body Found After Tennessee Boating Accident on J. Percy Priest Lake A 39-year-old man’s body was found in J. Percy Priest Lake on September 2 in Tennessee, the day after a boating accident occurred near the Four Corners Marina. Harvie Butler was thrown from his boat when it collided with another boat, causing injuries to…
Read MoreOne Dead After Massachusetts Boating Accident on Taunton River
A 47-year-old man died in May when the boat he was riding on slammed into a tree in the Taunton River in Massachusetts. Manuel Pinheiro suffered severe head injuries when the operator, Anthony Rose, of the boat collided with a tree. Rose pleaded not guilty to drunken boating homicide and negligent operation of a boat,…
Read MoreHyak Ferry Sinks 27-Foot Sailboat on Salish Sea
A Hyak ferry collided with and sank a 27-foot sailboat on the Salish Sea outside of Washington state on September 13. According to authorities, heavy fog created limited visibility that may have caused the collision. A man in his mid-60s was on the sailboat at the time of the collision and was rescued by another…
Read MoreUS Coast Guard Releases Top Ten List of Towing Vessel Inadequacies
The U.S. Coast Guard has made a handout describing the 10 most common problems with towing vessels it has found during investigations of uninspected vessels. The list was created as part of the Towing Vessel Bridging Program, a program designed to help owners and operators of these towing vessel correct issues and implement new safety…
Read More56-Year-Old Crabber Killed in Collision with Tug and Barge
56-Year-Old Crabber Killed in Collision with Tug and Barge A man died this summer when his crab boat collided with a tug and barge in Port Arthur, Texas. 56-year-old John Tran was the only victim of the accident when he collided with the tugboat Father Seelos. The tugboat was in a high-traffic section of the…
Read MoreDeck Hand Dead After Towboat Sinks in Mississippi River
A 22-year-old deck hand drowned when new towboat Megan McB sank in the Upper Mississippi River after it allegedly lost power and floated over a dam. Two crewmembers escaped from the top level of the boat after it floated over the roller gate of a damn and came to rest on its side. The third…
Read MoreUS Representative’s Husband Suffers Head Injury in Maine Boating Accident
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree’s husband suffered significant brain trauma during a boating accident in Portland Harbor. The couple and four others were riding a water taxi back from a wedding earlier this month when the taxi collided with a powerboat near Fort Gorges. Pingree’s husband was rushed to the Maine Medical Center and two others…
Read MoreLiberty Island Ferry Accident Injures Eight
Eight people suffered injuries last month when a ferry struck a pier on its way to Liberty Island, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The ferry was carrying passengers to see the Statue of Liberty when it collided with the pier, causing injuries to eight people aboard. Those injured were treated at the scene. The…
Read MoreUtility Company Sued for Lake of the Ozarks Electrocution Incident
The mother of two St. Louis children that were electrocuted and killed last Fourth of July at Lake of the Ozarks is suing Union Electric Company for wrongful death. The children, an eight-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, died while swimming at their family’s vacation home after being electrocuted due to a short circuit shock. The…
Read MoreAlaskan Cruise Ship Docked for Engine Trouble, Shines Light on Dangers of Cruise Ships
Alaskan Cruise Ship Docked for Engine Trouble, Shines Light on Dangers of Cruise Ships In the wake of Venice’s possible ban on cruise ships due to tourist accidents and deaths, an Alaskan cruise ship has been docked due to engine trouble. The Celebrity Millennium’s Alaskan cruise has been cancelled and the ship is being worked…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Fisherman Dies After Wire Snaps
A 24-year-old fisherman, Donald Alversa was killed this past weekend when a vessel wire snapped and struck him on board a 90-foot vessel F/V JASON & DANIELLE. The Coast Guard was notified immediately and it took an hour for an MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter to reach the vessel which was at the Outer Banks. After…
Read MoreNew Jersey Boating Accident Numbers Unaffected by Storm Debris
Boating accident numbers in New Jersey did not spike this summer, despite concerns over safety hazards due to debris in waterways from Superstorm Sandy. Work to clean waterways began last winter and fears of increased boating accident form debris stuck around all summer. The numbers, however, have stayed the same with seasonal norms, and are…
Read MoreTwo Fisherman Hospitalized Due to Poisonous Gas
Two Maine fishermen were hospitalized after nearly suffocating due to poisonous gas created by rotting fish. One crewmember was undertaking his duties in the hold of the boat when he suddenly was overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas created by the rotting fish. He lost his balance and fell to the bottom of the hold. Another…
Read MoreIllinois Family Sues Waterway after 10-Year-Old Killed in Boating Wreck
A year after 10-year-old Tony Borcia was killed in a boating accident on Petite Lake, Illinois, his family is suing Fox Waterway Agency, claiming it failed to provide rules and regulations for safe boating. Borcia fell out of an inflatable tube in July of 2012 and was struck by another boat. The driver of the…
Read MoreColorado Student Arrested for Drunk Boating Accident Serves as Warning for Labor Day Celebrations
Colorado Student Arrested for Drunk Boating Accident Serves as Warning for Labor Day Celebrations A Colorado State University student was arrested after a boating accident that left a 22-year-old with severe cuts along the entire right side of his body. According to The Coloradoan, student Christopher Feller was driving a boat towards shore in late…
Read MoreEight Workers Injured in Boat House Explosion at Navy Base
Eight workers were injured in a boathouse explosion last week at a New Jersey Navy base while performing routine maintenance. One person was hospitalized with serious injuries while the other seven sustained only minor injuries, mostly consistent with smoke inhalation. An investigation into the cause of the explosion is still underway. According to USA Today,…
Read MoreTwo Workers Killed by Toxic Gases on ‘The Love Boat’
Two Turkish workers are dead after being exposed to noxious gases in an engine room on board the famous ship from ABC’s “The Love Boat.” The boat had arrived in Turkey to be disassembled for parts after suffering significant flooding damage during its voyage. Ten workers were sent to the ship’s engine room to siphon…
Read MoreTennessee Fisherman Dead After Boating Accident
Athens fisherman Anthony Szozda is dead after running his boat into a low-hanging power line over the Tennessee River and nearly decapitating himself. Szozda was participating in a bass tournament when the accident occurred. Trinity resident Jonathan Poole was driving a boat close behind the victim when he spotted the power line just above the…
Read MoreNTSB Rules Poor Weather Planning, Mishandling of Life Rafts Cause of Trinity II Deaths
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the Trinity II tragedy in 2011 was caused by inadequate weather preparations and ineffective use of lifesaving equipment. Four people were killed when the 94-foot jack-up lift boat was caught during Hurricane Nate. The crew abandoned the ship during the storm and two life rafts did…
Read MoreOfficer in Charge of Queen of the North Ferry Found Guilty of Criminal Negligence
Former B.C. Ferries office Karl Lilgert has been found guilty of criminal negligence causing death in the 2006 sinking of Queen of the North. The ferry struck an island off the northern coast of British Columbia and sunk, leaving two passengers still missing to this day. The ship struck the island due to a missed…
Read MoreExploding Barges Severely Injure Three, Evacuates Nearby Cruise Ship
Explosions on two Alabama fuel barges caused a huge fire and multiple injuries this April. According to Fox News, the U.S. Coast Guard stated the cause of the fire was most likely a spark that occurred during the barges’ cleaning. The fire began after the explosions on Wednesday night, April 24, and burned until it…
Read MoreOklahoma Ski Boat Driver Turns Self in After Fatal Boating Accident
NewsOK reported that a ski boat driver wanted in connection with a July 4 fatal boating accident turned himself in to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. After the body of Gary McInnich, 55, was recovered from Lake Eufaula, Ryan Shumway, 30, of McAlester, turned himself in at the McIntosh County District Attorney’s office. Around 10:10 p.m.…
Read MoreLiverpool Amphibious Tourist Vehicle Sinks
In June, a Yellow Duckmarine, an amphibious tourist vehicle popular in Liverpool, England, carrying more than 30 passengers sank, according to The Telegraph. The Yellow Duckmarine began to slowly sink after completing its big finish, known as the “splashdown” landing, where the vehicle drives down a ramp into the water. Several agencies rushed to the…
Read MoreOne Dead, One Injured in Tennessee Boating Accident
A man is facing vehicular homicide charges after a deadly boating accident near downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, according to WSMV in Nashville. The man, Doug Jackson, and four other friends were boating when, as a joke, he pushed two of his friends into the water. However, unbeknownst to him, one of his friends, Stephanie Burns, a…
Read MoreBest Man and Bride-To-Be Killed In NY Boat Crash
Best Man and Bride-To-Be Killed In NY Boat Crash The best man and bride-to-be of a wedding party died in a July 26 recreational boating accident on the Hudson River, according to Reuters. Mark Lennon, 30, and Lindsey Stewart, 30, were the only fatalities when a speedboat carrying six members of a wedding party crashed…
Read MoreTuna Capsized Boat, Nearly Drowned Fisherman
Anthony Wichman, 54, of Koloa, Hawaii had his 14-foot boat capsized and was dragged into the Pacific and nearly drowned by an Ahi tuna, according to CNN. Wichman was fishing off the coast of Kauai on the morning of July 19, when he hooked the 230-pound tuna, and after an hour of fighting it,…
Read MoreTugboat Pulled From Bottom Of Mississippi River
On July 10, after a five-day effort, crews were finally able to pull a 47-foot-long tugboat out of the Mississippi River, according to the Times-Picayune. Since the tugboat’s accident and subsequent sinking, that stretch of the Mississippi had been closed, either partially or entirely. “Closing down the river was a big deal,” said Coast Guard…
Read MoreNew Orleans Tugboat Accident Causes Cruise Ship To Alter Its Course
The Carnival Conquest, a 3,000-passenger Carnival Cruise Lines cruise ship, was diverted to Mobile, Alabama last month because of a tugboat accident that prevented it from reaching its intended destination, New Orleans, Louisiana. According to the Cruise Critic, the 48-foot tugboat capsized and sank in the Mississippi River near Venice, Louisiana, forcing the U.S. Coast…
Read MoreCrew Survives After Merchant Vessel Splits In Two Off Mumbai Coast
The Savannah Morning News reported that the Comfort, a Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) container vessel, split in two last month during inclement weather off the coast of Yemen. The incident occurred about 840 miles west of Mumbai, and the Coast Guard reported that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai diverted three nearby ships for…
Read MoreDrunken Boaters Drawing Extra Attention From Massachusetts Harbormasters
Now that summer is in full swing, hitting the water has become an almost weekly regimen for many recreational boaters in Massachusetts and around the country. Unfortunately, as nice as it can be to cool off in the water on a hot summer day, the increased traffic on the water often leads to an increase…
Read MoreFerry Accident Severs Arm of Worker in Ottawa
The Ottawa Citizen in Canada reported that a veteran employee of the Quyon ferry had his right arm severed in a ferry accident on July 11. Four men were working on the company’s new vessel, a 215-ton cable ferry with space for 21 cars, when a cable snapped and severed the arm of 33-year-old Harold…
Read MoreBoating Accidents in Michigan, California and Arizona Call Attention to Safety Concerns
Boating Accidents in Michigan, California and Arizona Call Attention to Safety Concerns As more people take to the water this summer, recreational boating accidents around the county during the weekend of July 13 resulted in numerous serious injuries and a pair of deaths. KVUE-TV reported that two men needed to be transported to the hospital…
Read More