A Louisiana seaman has filed a lawsuit against a Texas-based energy company, alleging severe negligence and gross misconduct that resulted in life-altering injuries. Tucker Johnson lodged the complaint in Harris County District Court on August 21, 2024, targeting Genesis Energy, LP, Genesis Energy, LLC, and Genesis Offshore Holdings, LLC.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on July 11, 2024, when Johnson was working on one of the defendants' offshore vessels at the High Island A5 rig in the Gulf of Mexico. According to court documents, Johnson was instructed by employees of Genesis Energy to assist with inspecting and testing the vessel's lifting and lowering system. The inspection process required one worker to manually lower equipment using a winch handle while another tested electrical components below. However, Johnson alleges that he was not warned about the dangerous condition of the winch handle, which was left in a state that allowed it to rotate freely and rapidly.
"Defendants failed to provide any warning to the Plaintiff about the dangerous situation," states the complaint. The situation took a dire turn when personnel activated the vessel’s electronic lowering system without notifying Johnson. This caused the winch handle to spin violently and strike him in the head, rendering him unconscious. "Defendants recklessly forced Mr. Johnson to perform dangerous tasks without any warning about the risk," claims his legal team.
Johnson's ordeal did not end there; he asserts that Genesis Energy delayed his medical evacuation for approximately two hours until Coast Guard assistance arrived. "Defendants recklessly left Plaintiff stranded in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with a debilitating brain injury without any medical care for hours," reads another section of his petition.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court due to what he describes as severe and permanent bodily injuries resulting from this incident. These include compensation for past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, impairment, disfigurement, loss of earning capacity both past and future, medical expenses, and other general damages. Additionally, Johnson is pursuing punitive or exemplary damages due to what he considers gross negligence on part of Genesis Energy.
Johnson's legal representation argues that Genesis Energy failed on multiple fronts: inadequate training and supervision; failure to warn about hazards; improper maintenance and inspection of equipment; neglecting safety protocols; and failing to provide timely medical attention. They cite violations of applicable Coast Guard regulations among other lapses as evidence of gross negligence deserving punitive damages.
The case has been assigned Case ID 2024-55344 in Harris County’s 157th Judicial District Court with Marilyn Burgess serving as District Clerk. The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Kurt B. Arnold and Kyle Findley from Arnold & Itkin LLP.