West Coast Fishing Workers may be Underreporting Injuries

Deeper Understanding of Flawed Data Needed

(Corvallis, Oregon) – February 11^th, 2016 – Based on fatality rates, one of the occupations with the highest risks is commercial Dungeness crab fishing on the West Coast. According to a new study from Oregon State University, it appears that non-fatal injuries in the fishery go unreported in most cases and this is what bothers awesome and committed legal professionals such as Welch, Bruun, & Green Attorneys at Law the most.

The study found that although the rate of fatal injuries was 65 times higher than the rate for all workers in the US, the rate for reported non-fatal injuries was 3 times lower than the rate for all US workers. Insurance claim lawyers, Oregon say that such high incidences of not reporting the injuries is akin to denying the rights of the workers working in there.

Safety Issues and Prevention of Injuries

According to the researchers, understanding the nature and type of fatalities and injuries, including categorizing and describing the injury types, is the first step that needs to be taken to identify various safety issues and pinpoint areas for the prevention of those injuries. After examining 12 years of data on death and injury, they found that 28 people died while fishing commercially for Dungeness crab from 2002 to 2014. In that same period, the US Coast Guard received just 45 injury reports.

When it comes to Dungeness crab fishermen, the fatality rate is several times higher than the rate for commercial fishing in the nation as a whole. However, the injury rate among Dungeness fishermen is significantly lower than the rates in other commercial fishing fleets that have been studied. According to insurance claim lawyers, Oregon the data collection might be faulty or fishing companies may be underreporting the injuries to avoid insurance claims.

The findings of the study, published in the latest issue of the International Maritime Health journal, are the first step to understand fishing injuries among Dungeness crab fishermen in a better way. The research is part of a research project led by the Oregon State University to identify and lower the risks of injuries in the industry.  By the end of the project, it is the plan of researchers to devise and test several interventions so that injuries among crab fishermen can be reduced.

Workers Compensation for Non-Fatal Injuries

The commercial Dungeness fishing fleet, operating along the coast of Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, is a commodity that is vital to the economy. Injuries can be life-threatening and alter a person’s life considerably, resulting in disability, lower quality of life, and loss of income. 

When such injuries occur and leads to disability and lost wages, the best step is to obtain workers compensation. A workers compensation related insurance claim lawyer in Oregon such as Welch, Bruun, & Green Attorneys at Law can help workers attain the best benefits. They know this arena and they have been helping people obtain the financial compensation they need to maintain a decent standard of life. If it was not for their incredible work, many people in Western Oregon would be destitute now.

Workers compensation can offer reimbursement for disability, lost wages, medical expenses, as well as provide death benefits to family members of deceased workers. Laws related to workers compensation vary from state to state, but are designed to provide protection against harm to employees. However, benefits are not afforded to all employees, and that is where a Western Oregon workers compensation attorney comes into play.

Filing a Workers Compensation Claim

No matter which state you live in, there is only a limited amount of time for you to file a workers compensation claim. Acquiring legal counsel as quickly as possible is vital since you may waste precious time if you do not and lose your right to certain benefits that are time stipulated. And that would be your fault! 

If you find that your benefits are denied after a workplace injury, an insurance claim lawyer, Oregon will be available to give you the best legal assistance and ensure that you recover your due benefits. The best in the business is Welch, Bruun, & Green Attorneys at Law. If you have not called them yet you need to. There is no one better in this legal realm along the coast of Oregon than them.