Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has been retained to bring an offshore injury claim, under general United States maritime law and the extension of Admiralty Jurisdiction Act set forth at 46 U.S. Code § 30101, on behalf of a worker who was injured while working onboard a vessel under construction docked in a shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida. The claim against Bae Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair LLC and Crowley Global Ship Management is based in the Circuit Court of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, in and for Duval County, Florida. Bae Systems Jacksonville is a foreign limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and operating primarily in the State of Florida. Bae Systems Jacksonville’s parent company Bae Systems operates globally as an international defense, aerospace and security company. Crowley Global Ship Management is organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and operates globally with their headquarters and principal place of business in Jacksonville, Florida.
The claim, which is brought under general maritime and admiralty law, is based upon the negligence of Bae Systems and Crowley Global, the negligence of their employees, and the condition in and around Bae Systems vessel under construction, the Ocean Evolution. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client was working as a project manager for a contractor hired by Bae Systems to construct the Ocean Evolution. Bae Systems also contracted with Crowley Global Ship Management to provide crew for the vessel during the project. On or about January 21, 2019, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client was working onboard the Ocean Evolution as a project manager while it was docked at Bae Systems Jacksonville Shipyard when he walked and fell across a temporary gangway on the Ocean Evolution that was negligently designed and constructed. The gangway was not properly designed to respond to tide and waves. The gangway also was rigged with an unsupported step block to form a transition between the temporary gangway and the stairwell. This unstable and unsupported step block had shifted which directly caused Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client to fall and jar his neck, sustaining serious injuries to his neck and body. Under maritime and admiralty law Bae Systems and Crowley Global’s crew, who were in charge of the operations at Bae Systems shipyard, by and through their employees and supervisors failed to provide safe ingress and egress to and from the vessel as obligated. Defendants failure to properly secure and support the block made the gangway transition unstable and unsafe. Defendants also failed to warn Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s of the dangerous or unsafe conditions on the premises of which it was aware of or, in the exercise of reasonable care, of which it should have been aware in this case the temporary gangway and unsecured step.
The incident caused by the negligence of Bae Systems and Crowley Global resulted in severe injuries to Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client, a previous healthy, able-bodied workingman. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client required immediate medical treatment due to the nature and severity of his injuries. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client still suffers from this incident with radiating pain, physical impairment, disfigurement, and disruption in his ability to sleep. As such, it is also in reasonable probability he will need additional medical treatment stemming from this incident. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client has been exposed to significant damages that are owed under maritime law. This incident from Defendant’s negligence not only physically and permanently impacted our client’s everyday life but also caused a large loss of earnings and wage-earning ability. Under admiralty law, maritime law, this injured maritime worker will be entitled to seek lost wages and future earning capacity, past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment and other damages.
Maritime workers are a vital part of the United States economy. As a result, a complex set of laws, including admiralty law, maritime law, Section 905(b), the Jones Act, and other offshore injury rules, provide legal protections. The vital role these maritime workers play in the US Economy has awarded them various legal rights and protections to safely fulfill their duty every day. If you would like to understand your rights under maritime and admiralty law, following an offshore injury, the lawyers at Doyle Dennis Avery LLP can assist in providing a free evaluation of your claim, based upon years of experience and success in representing injured offshore workers under maritime law. Call us to discuss your claim for free today.
