Improper design and maintenance of an offshore vessel may give rise to an admiralty or general maritime law claim depending on the circumstances. This is exactly the situation that led to a claim filed by Doyle Dennis Avery LLP against TDI-Brooks International, Inc. in Houston, Texas for an injury that occurred on a vessel that works throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
There are a variety of different maritime laws that can apply depending upon the facts of an incident and the work status of the injured person. This particular case was brought under the Jones Act and general maritime law, including laws regarding the duty of unseaworthiness. The suit seeks monetary compensation for injuries suffered by Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client due to the negligence of TDI-Brooks International, as defined by the Jones Act, and the unseaworthiness of TDI-Brooks International’s vessel, the M/V Brooks McCall, because of the defective design and maintenance of the vessel in violation of maritime law industry standards and OSHA. Specifically, the vessel Brooks McCall was operated with a stair case that did not have uniform steps on the ship’s stairways. The riser height of the steps was different from one step to another, which create an unsafe and unreasonable condition under the Jones Act and maritime law. This problem with the vessel also made it unseaworthy. As a result, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client suffered a serious fall resulting in a shoulder injury that has required surgery and halted his offshore career as a Chief Mate, Relief Captain, and Pilot.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client was assigned to work on the vessel Brooks McCall and was part of the crew of the vessel. As a crewmember, he is entitled to the specific protections of the Jones Act. The suit seeks damages owed to Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client that arise from the injury, including the financial, physical, and mental losses suffered because of the incident.
Because of the background and experience of Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s attorneys, they were able to bring this case under the Jones Act. Had the facts or circumstances of this case been different, it could have fallen under different admiralty laws or maritime laws such as, the Longshore Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Death on the High Seas Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, or general maritime law. If you or someone you know was injured at a dock, marina, or on a tugboat, drill ship, offshore drilling rig, container ship, crew boat, or other vessel, contact the lawyers at Doyle Dennis Avery LLP for a free evaluation of the particular maritime laws that may apply to your claim.
