A Penitas man says his employer's negligence and the unseaworthiness of the company's vessels led to an injury he will continue to be affected by in the future.
Gilbert Benavides filed a lawsuit Feb. 17 in the Galveston County District Court against Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. LLC.
According to the complaint, Benavides was a Jones Act Seaman employed as a crew member on April 26, 2012, when he injured his back and spine as he boarded a pontoon tank from a tug called the "Miss Melinda."
The defendant's negligence led to that injury and the vessels were not seaworthy because they were not reasonably fit for their intended purpose, the suit states.
Benavides seeks a judgment for actual damages, pre- and post- judgment interest and court costs.
He is represented by Sean Patrick Tracey and Lance N. Walters of the Tracey Law Firm of Houston, and Carlos L. Guerra of McAllen.
Galveston County District Court case No. 14-cv-0823
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Galveston County District Court The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.