Recent Articles

Washington State Court Rules On Punitive Damages In Maintenance and Cure Claim - Orders Icicle To Pay Injured Fisherman Over 2 Million Dollars

March 20, 2012 19:05

Beard Stacey & Jacobsen, LLP has established a landmark decision for an injured seaman before the Washington State Supreme Court. The ruling yesterday declares that there is no pre-established arbitrary cap on a seaman’s right to punitive damages for the...Beard Stacey & Jacobsen, LLP has...

Columbia River Bar Pilot Rescued After Fall Overboard From Ship

March 14, 2012 18:46

It was the middle of the night when Columbia River Bar Capt. Debbie Dempsey fell overboard just west of the Columbia River Bar on March 5th. Capt. Dempsey had guided a grain ship over the treacherous bar and was climbing...It was the middle of the night when Columbia River Bar Capt. Debbie Dempsey...

Warrenton F/V LADY CECILIA Lost Off Washington Coast – Four Crewmen Missing

March 12, 2012 20:41

Early Saturday morning an EPIRB signal set off a search for the Warrenton-based fishing vessel LADY CECILIA and its four member crew. Coast Guard helicopters located a debris field, oil slick, and life raft just north of the Columbia River,...Early Saturday morning an EPIRB signal set off a search...

Fishing Vessel Chevelle Crashes on Rocks at Newport

March 12, 2012 18:16

The fishing vessel CHEVELLE collided with the jetty near Newport, Oregon on Friday and is reportedly breaking up in heavy weather. One witness described crab pots shifting on the vessel after it took a hard roll while crossing the bar....The fishing vessel CHEVELLE collided with the jetty near...

Alaska Crewman Lost Overboard From Glacier Spirit

March 12, 2012 18:13

A crewman was washed overboard and presumed drowned from the 42-foot GLACIER SPIRIT on Friday. The accident happened near Sand Point, Alaska. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be 25 mph winds with 12-foot seas....A crewman was washed overboard and presumed drowned from...

Responsibility of Ship Owners to Unarmed, Untrained Crewmembers Injured by Pirates

March 07, 2012 22:27

The history of piracy is a long one, and piracy remains a threat in modern times. The potential for pirate attack may exist in any waters, but during the past decade it is Somali pirates along the east coast of...The history of piracy is a long one, and piracy remains a threat in modern times. The...

Machine Guarding Aboard a Fishing Vessel is Federal Regulation

February 27, 2012 22:23

Too many casualties in the fishing industry, including amputations and death, are caused by unguarded machinery parts catching a worker’s fingers, limbs, clothing, or hair. Long hours with little rest, the fast pace of work, and rolling seas increase the...Too many casualties in the fishing...

Seaman’s Right to Maintenance and Cure Is Not Subject to Employer’s Demand for Independent Medical Exam

February 27, 2012 22:15

In March of 2011, in Tuyen Thanh Mai v. American Seafoods Company, LLC, the Washington State Court of Appeals upheld the ruling that American Seafoods Company (ASC) did not have the right to deny seaman Tuyen Thanh Mai maintenance and...In March of 2011, in Tuyen Thanh Mai v. American Seafoods...

Is There a Correlation Between Long Shifts, Too Few Crewmembers, and Unseaworthiness?

February 27, 2012 22:12

BACKGROUND In the matter of Samson Ili vs. American Seafoods Company, LLC, and American Triumph, LCC, et al, a Washington Federal trial case, Samson Ili worked as a factory processor aboard F/T AMERICAN TRIUMPH for four years until February 9,...BACKGROUND In the matter of Samson Ili vs. American...

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: Serving Those Who Serve Us

February 21, 2012 00:56

Beard Stacey & Jacobsen supports our local Navy service members and families through the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS). NMCRS is a non-profit organization and, as such, programs are funded completely through charitable donations. NMCRS case workers are trained to...Beard Stacey &...