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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Suit: Spill from boiling pot of crawfish leaves man disabled

A Jefferson County man was expecting something hot and spicy when he attended a company crawfish boil. Instead he got something hot and scalding when the stockpot full of mudbugs spilled onto his foot.

Michael Whalen is suing the cook and the company, claiming the injuries he sustained from the boiling water left him permanently disabled.

Whalen and his wife Laraine were attending an A&L Industrial Services Inc.-sponsored crawfish boil when Jeffrey Davis, "busy boiling crawfish, suddenly and without warning attempted to lift the basket of crawfish out of the large stockpot of scalding hot water … causing the stockpot to turn over, dumping hot water on Whalen's shoe."

The couple filed suit against Davis and A&L Industrial Services Inc. in the Jefferson County District Court on Feb. 8, claiming "Davis failed to exercise ordinary care when handling the basket of crawfish."

The couple is suing A&L Industrial Services under the doctrine of respondeat superior, Latin for "let the master answer."

Whalen claims his foot was so severely injured in the incident that he has become disabled and impaired. Whalen, 44, is suing for 34 years of future pain, the reminder of his life expectancy.

"Whalen suffered serious and disabling injures to his left foot," the suit said.

Whalen is also suing for past and future medical expenses, mental anguish and disfigurement.

His wife is suing for past and future loss of services and consortium.

The couple is represented by attorney Daniel Linebaugh of the Linebaugh Law Firm.

Judge Milton Shuffield, 136th Judicial District, has been assigned to the case.

Case No. D181-201

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