In terras of amount of loss per claim, fire hazard was the source 

 of the severest accidents for partial losses in all three areas. 

 In addition, fire hazard contributed the largest portion of total 

 losses in New England and Gulf Area while navigation and. mechanical 

 failure were more important than fire in California. 



B. CLAIMS UNDER PROTECTION AND INDEMNITY INSURANCE 



Inasmuch as no claims were found in the Gulf Area sample, 

 examination of accidents is limited to New England and California. 



1. Frequency of accident occurrence . As much as 80.O percent 

 of accidents in New England and 83. percent in California were of 

 the personal injury category (table 15)- Sickness, death, and prop- 

 erty damage cases covered by this kind of insurance made up the rest 

 of the claims. Of the personal injuries, injuries to hands accounted 

 for about one-third in both areas; body injuries 26 percent in New 

 England and 19 percent in California; and foot injuries 17 percent 

 and 23 percent, respectively. Accidents involving sickness were not 

 very important, at least in frequency of occurrence, accounting for 

 18.0 percent of accidents in New England and only 9*0 percent in 

 California. Death and property damage cases covered by this type 

 of insurance accounted for 2 percent of the accidents in New England 

 and 8 percent in California. 



It will be noted that as much as 52 percent of the accidents 

 involving sickness consisted of poisoning and organic diseases which 

 may not be considered strictly occupational haza-'^ds (table 15). 

 Much also can be said for prevention and possible reduction of 

 accident occurrence of infections and colds. Although it is 

 natural that crews rather than officer personnel should account 

 for most claims--8^.0 percent of accidents in New England ajid 

 75 '0 percent in California were attributed to crews--there is 

 indication that personal injuries of New England crews were pro- 

 portionately more numerous than personal injuries of officer 

 personnel. Of all crew accidents in New England, 82 percent 

 consisted of personal injuries; of all accidents of officer 

 personnel, personal injuries account for 7^ percent (table 15). 



Available data for New England Indicate that sickness and 

 death have occurred among fishermen who are likely to be older 

 than those who had personal injuries, although the difference 

 may not be statistically significant. Of the activities during 

 which personal injuries occurred, "engaged in fishing and fish 

 processing" account for about 30 percent of accidents in New 

 England and ko percent in California (table 15). Since this is a 

 multiple classification of accidents, in a few cases other factors 

 may have contributed to the occurrence of an accident while the 



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