Doyle Dennis has filed suit against Ensco Offshore Company n/k/a Ensco Offshore LLC for the injuries suffered by a roustabout, working in the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was filed under the Jones Act and general maritime law in district court in Harris County, which is based in Houston, Texas.
The suit alleges that Ensco was negligent under the “Jones Act” (46 U.S.C. § 688) and general maritime law of the United States of America. The suit seeks damages due to the negligence of the Plaintiff’s Jones Act employer, ENSCO, and the negligence and unseaworthiness of ENSCO’s vessel, DS-16 (the “Vessel”), and crew, directly contributing to serious injuries to Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client. On or about February 18, 2020, ENSCO failed to provide proper equipment and manpower to properly and safely complete operations. More specifically, ENSCO failed to properly operate and maintain the riser capture device on the vessel, resulting in its failure. Rather than properly repair the equipment, ENSCO instead instructed the crew to use a make-shift manual riser tool or heavy spreader bar to continue operations. This tool was inadequate and improper for the job and placed the Plaintiff into the dangerous situation of hours using this manual tool that put extreme weight, pressure, and strain on Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client. As a result of ENSCO’s negligence and this inadequate equipment, the Plaintiff suffered a serious back injury and injured his body generally.
Doyle Dennis’s client was employed by ENSCO as a roustabout. As part of his job, he was regularly assigned to work in ENSCO’s fleet of owned and chartered vessels and engaged in vessel operations. ENSCO is the owner and operator of the DS-16. Accordingly, ENSCO was responsible for the dangerous and unseaworthy condition of the DS-16, including an inadequate and insufficiently trained and equipped crew, which was a legal cause of the Plaintiff’s injuries.
The suit further alleges that Doyle Dennis’s client was a Jones Act seaman more or less permanently assigned to the vessels and/or fleet of vessels of ENSCO and his work contributed to the ultimate mission of the vessels in ENSCO’s fleet(s). This particular allegation establishes that the suit is brought under United States maritime law, including the Jones Act and duty of unseaworthiness. In addition, the suit seeks to require ENSCO to provide maintenance and cure to Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client. Under maritime and admiralty law a ship owner and offshore employer, like ENSCO, is required to pay living expenses (maintenance) and medical expenses (cure) of an injured seaman until they are at maximum cure.
Jones Act and general maritime law cases are important cases that require the experience and expertise of lawyers with knowledge of the nuances of maritime and admiralty law. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s lawyers have years of experience in handling and taking these cases to trial, and our results speak for themselves. If you would like a no-cost evaluation by lawyers who have the experience and determination to take your case to trial or to obtain a favorable settlement, contact us today.
