Seaman claims captain failed to provide medical attention

GALVESTON - After cutting his finger a couple of months ago while working on a shrimp boat, a Harris County man has filed suit against his employer.

In a lawsuit filed Sept. 3, Quang Ly claims on July 23 he was injured while working as a deckhand aboard the Morning Lord II, a vessel captained by defendant Hai Van Pham.

According to the original petition filed in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas, the plaintiff was helping pump water from the engine room when he hurt his finger.

Ly claims the cut became infected, and alleges he begged the captain to get help for him, but the captain failed to do so.

"Instead of providing medical attention to the plaintiff or docking so that the plaintiff could seek medical attention, the defendant's officer elected to continue operations of the vessel to increase its profits rather than to provide medical attention to the plaintiff," the suit says.

Pham is also faulted for not enforcing a safety policy as well as not providing a safe and suitable place in which to work.

Consequently, Ly seeks unspecified monetary damages.

He is represented by attorney Danny M. Sheena of Houston.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt.

Case No. 3:10-cv-00339