Take-nothing judgment entered in suit alleging man crushed by toolbox

An agreed take-nothing judgment has been entered in litigation brought by Nicholas Senette, who sued Signal International after a forklift operator crushed his left side by dropping a 2,000-pound metal toolbox on him.

As previously reported, the suit was filed June 21, 2010, in Jefferson County District Court.

On Sept. 16 an agreed take-nothing judgment was approved by Judge Donald Floyd, 172nd District Court.

The judgment states that the parties' disputes have been compromised and settled and that Senette and his wife Heidi recover nothing from Signal.

According to the original complaint, Senette drove his 18-wheeler truck loaded with various types of oil field equipment to the Signal International shipyards in Port Arthur. The truck contained items such as welding machines, large metal baskets and large metal cementer's toolboxes that weigh about 2,000 pounds.

As Senette was unbinding straps that secured the equipment to the rig, a Signal employee began removing the equipment from the truck, the suit states.

Senette claims he was still in the process of unbinding the equipment on the trailer when Signal International's forklift operator knocked one of the large metal tool boxes off of the trailer, causing the toolbox to strike him on the left side of his body, knocking him to the ground and crushing his leg, according to the lawsuit.

Louisiana attorney James Domengeaux represented the plaintiffs.

Attorney Collin Shellenberger represented the defendant.

Case No. E187-115