Commercial fishing has long supported communities along the Louisiana coast, and the waters near New Orleans stay busy with shrimp boats, oyster boats, and other fishing vessels that are working long hours in conditions that can turn dangerous fast. Fishing consistently ranks among the most hazardous occupations in the country, and crew members face risks that most workers never encounter, like heavy nets and rigging, slick decks, exposed machinery, and sudden weather changes far from shore. Frischhertz & Impastato represents injured fishermen and deckhands from the New Orleans area and across the Gulf Coast.
Call (504) 276-6962 day or night for a free consultation. See what our more than 85 years of combined legal experience can do for you.
Winches, trawl doors, and hauling equipment can cause severe crushing injuries or amputations when they malfunction, or when crew members are not properly trained to work around them. Deck surfaces coated in fish, ice, or seawater create constant slip and fall risks. Vessels that are poorly maintained or improperly loaded can become unstable and capsize, sometimes with little warning. Man overboard incidents remain a persistent danger, particularly on smaller boats without adequate safety equipment or emergency procedures.
Many of these accidents stem from choices that were made before the boat ever left the dock:
Skipping equipment inspections
Sending out an undersized crew to cut costs
Ignoring mechanical issues, etc.
When those decisions lead to an injury, the vessel owner or operator can often be held accountable.
Storm Season & the Pressure to Keep Working
Hurricane season adds another layer of risk to fishing in the Gulf. Boats sometimes head out or stay out longer than they should just to salvage a trip before rough weather arrives, and crews are occasionally pressured to keep working through building swells rather than lose a day’s catch.
When a captain or vessel owner pushes a crew into worsening conditions, or fails to secure gear and equipment properly before a storm, any injury that follows is rarely just bad luck. We look at weather forecasts, radio logs, and vessel tracking data available at the time of the accident to understand what the crew knew and should have known before conditions became dangerous.
Jones Act Protections for Fishermen
Most commercial fishing crew members qualify as seamen under the Jones Act, which means that they can pursue a claim for negligence against their employer if unsafe conditions, inadequate training, or a coworker’s careless conduct contributed to their injury. Fishermen may also bring unseaworthiness claims, which focus on whether the vessel itself, its equipment, or its crew complement was fit for the voyage, separate from any question of negligence. Additionally, injured fishermen are typically entitled to maintenance and cure, covering basic living expenses and medical treatment during recovery, regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
Because fishing crews are often paid a share of the catch rather than a standard wage, calculating lost income after an injury requires a careful look at historical earnings, seasonal patterns, and the specific vessel’s typical catch performance, something that our fishing boat accident attorneys are experienced in evaluating.
Timing Matters More Than Ever
For injuries that occurred on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s deadline to file a personal injury claim lasts two years, a significant change from the one-year period that applied to earlier injuries. Fishing accident cases also frequently involve federal maritime law rather than Louisiana state law alone, which can affect filing deadlines and the proper court for a claim. Getting the right legal framework identified early on protects an injured fisherman’s ability to recover compensation at all.
Legal Support Built for Working Families
Fishing families often cannot afford to wait months for their case to move forward, especially when an injury has cut off the household’s main source of income. At Frischhertz & Impastato, we handle fishing accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means there are no upfront costs and no fee at all unless we recover compensation for you. Our team of eight attorneys, backed by decades of experience, have recovered over $700 million for injured clients, and we work collaboratively on every case rather than leaving one attorney to manage it alone.
We have taken on vessel owners, seafood companies, and their insurers when they have tried to minimize a legitimate injury claim, and we prepare every case with an eye toward trial so that we’re well-prepared for every development.
For the tireless advocacy and personalized attention that you deserve, call (504) 276-6962 today to request a free consultation from a fishing boat accident lawyer in New Orleans.
A compilation of the Frischhertz & Impastato attorneys and staff at work and interacting with clients.
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