Arm Injuries: 4 Financial Impacts For Lobster Fishermen

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Being a lobster fisherman is a career that is filled with hard work and great rewards. If you're a lobster fisherman, then you understand how much physical labor and stamina is needed on a daily basis. Being involved in a personal injury like a car accident can dramatically change your ability to properly fish, especially if your injure your arm. Losing out on this type of work can mean that you've lost out on a lot of money. Instead of cutting your losses, you can consult with a car accident attorney to seek a settlement case. Along with hospital bills and your base income, there are four other financial impacts that could change the compensation for your case. Browse through each one to see if it can apply to your specific circumstances.

Docking Fees

As you heal from an arm injury, you may not get to use your boat or fish for lobster at all. If this is the case, then you are wasting valuable money on docking and maintenance fees for your boat. When the boat is parked at a marina, you likely have to pay an annual fee. These fees are wasted if you cannot use your boat properly. Along with the basic fees, you may have to pay for extra services that you cannot perform. For example, you may need to pay boat cleaning fees or engine cleaning costs if the boat has been sitting there a while. Receipts and invoices can be handed over to your attorney to help build evidence for the case.

Permit Costs

When fishing for lobster, you typically have to have a permit for the state that you are working in. For example, in the state of Massachusetts, a lobster fishing permit costs $310 for the year. When you're unable to fish, the amount you paid for the permit is wasted for the remainder of the year. An attorney can help calculate the percentage of time you missed using the permit and the value of it. These costs can add up, especially if you fish in multiple states or have extras added to your permit like eel and horseshoe crab fishing. By receiving compensation for your permit costs, you can have the money to go towards new permits once you are fully healed.

Hiring Assistants

If you cannot wait to go back into the water to fish, then you may need some assistance to make it possible. While your arm heals and regains strength, you may pay an assistant to help pull in nets, handle equipment, or operate the boat. Without your injury, this extra help would not have been needed. An attorney can seek compensation from the person or company liable for your injury. You can use any documented form of payment as evidence during your settlement case. This includes checks or digital forms of payment like PayPal.

Special Equipment Purchases

When healing through your arm injuries, you may not have the full strength or flexibility that you used to have. To help you fish and catch lobster like usual, you may need to purchase special equipment for the boat. For example, if you broke your wrist, you may need to wear a wrist brace to add strength and prevent extra damage to the wrist. An elbow brace may also be needed for full arm extensions and flexibility. Special net grips or handles on lobster fishing equipment may also have to be purchased so you can catch lobster properly. All of these costs should be included in your settlement case. By using doctor recommendations and equipment prices, your attorney can seek compensation for the full costs of the various pieces of equipment.

Contact an attorney from a firm like Wolter, Beeman & Lynch soon after your arm injury to help build a case and get a settlement as soon as possible.

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11 July 2016