GALVESTON – A Louisiana seaman has filed a lawsuit after he allegedly fell into the waters near St. Pete Beach, Fla., recent Galveston federal court records show.
Willie James Richardson, Jr.’s suit claims the deckhand from Tangipahoa Parish, La. suffered injuries to his back, legs and arms because of the May 31 incident.
Named as defendants in the litigation, Bolivar Offshore Services, LLC and Luhr Bros, Inc. are asserted to have directed Richardson to change a light on a buoy marker.
The plaintiff says that he “was stepping onto the buoy marker to reach the light, when the buoy flipped into the water with him.” He was reportedly “able to hold onto the buoy until the crew was able to throw him a line and pull him back to the” Blue Marlin.
Consequently, Richardson seeks more than $1.3 million in damages and a jury trial.
Matthew D. Shaffer of the law firm Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. in Houston is representing the complainant.
Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 3:18-CV-0247