GALVESTON – A Louisiana man believes his employer deliberately left him in the dark about the allegedly hazardous state of one of its boats, states a suit filed in Galveston County District Court on May 21.
Thomas Irey is suing Seacor Marine LLC for injuries he sustained to his neck, back and other parts of his body while working as a deckhand on the Seacor Vision a few months ago.
Seacor, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is a multi-national company that owns and operates marine and aviation assets servicing the oil and gas industry worldwide. The Seacor Vision is one of the company's anchor handling towing supply vessels which are built to deploy and recover mooring systems for deepwater drilling rigs.
The suit attributes Irey's injuries "to the negligence of defendant due to its failure to provide slip protection, including non-skid on rear deck, causing plaintiff to fall."
"Defendant was negligent and the vessel was unseaworthy," argues the suit. "Such occurrence and such injuries occurred as a proximate result of the unsafe and unseaworthy condition of the Seacor Vision, its crew, and appurtenances and/or equipment, in whole or in part, as a proximate result of the initial acts and/or negligence or lack of attention on the part of [the] defendant, its agents, servants and/or employees acting in the course and scope of their employment and agency."
The suit claims Irey incurred "physical pain, mental anguish, and other medical problems" as a result of the March 14 incident.
"In connection therewith, plaintiff would show that he has sustained severe pain, physical impairment, discomfort, mental anguish, and distress to date and that in all reasonable probability, such physical pain, physical impairment, and mental anguish will continue indefinitely and into the future," explains the original complaint.
Rendered unemployed by the accident, Irey "has suffered a loss of earnings in the past, as well as a loss of future earning capacity." In addition, he "has incurred and will incur pharmaceutical and medical expenses in connection with said injuries."
Attorney Matthew D. Shaffer is representing Irey. They have requested a trial by jury.
The case has been assigned to Judge Wayne Mallia, 405th District Court.
Case No. 08CV0526