The ALASKA RANGER, a 180 foot factory trawler owned by the Fishing Company of Alaska sank in the Bering Sea on March 23, 2008. Five crewmembers perished and 42 were rescued in a heroic effort by the U.S. Coast Guard and the crew of a sister ship, the ALASKA WARRIOR. The tragedy will be investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard which has issued periodic press releases to keep the public informed.
Dave Anderson of Anderson Carey Alexander, has handled numerous shipwreck cases in behalf of families of those who have perished.. He has lectured other lawyers on the subject of U.S. Coast Guard marine casualty investigations and their relationship to civil actions for personal injury and death. He has recovered millions of dollars for the families of those who have been lost at sea.
From eyewitness accounts, it is clear that the events surrounding the sinking of the ALASKA RANGER were chaotic and terrifying. Many of the crewmembers of the vessel experienced very real fear of death. It is likely that many of those who survived the ordeal will have claims for physical and emotional injuries.
Recently the firm of Anderson Carey Alexander represented a seaman who survived the sinking of a tug in the North Pacific, by drifting in a survival suit before being rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. The client suffered effects of PTSD, for which he received a seven figure settlement. Every case is different, but the right to compensation for both physical and psychological injuries should be explored by anyone who suffered through the ordeal of the wreck of the ALASKA RANGER on Easter morning, 2008.
