Case at a glance
- Recovery: Confidential Settlement
- Injury: Left ankle and leg injury requiring multiple procedures
- Practice: Maritime Injury Law
- Attorney: Vuk Vujasinovic
An injury between the navigation deck and her cabin
Christina was leaving the navigation deck and walking down an interior stairway toward her cabin when she slipped and fell several steps from the bottom. She injured her left ankle and leg.
Her initial surgery stabilized damaged ligaments between the bones above the ankle with surgical hardware. When pain continued, she underwent an ankle arthroscopy, a procedure that allowed her doctor to look inside the joint and address scar tissue and other problems.
Even after those operations, Christina continued to hurt. Her treating doctor referred her to a foot-and-ankle specialist for further evaluation.
The investigation looked at how the stairway was maintained
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team examined the stairway’s cleaning practices and spoke with a member of the catering staff familiar with the area. The investigation addressed daily sweeping, overnight mopping, weekly detailed cleaning and the amount of traffic passing through the stairway.
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team also reviewed photographs and the cleaning schedule. That work focused on the condition of a route Christina used aboard the vessel and on how the crew maintained it, not simply on the fact that she had fallen.
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team identified crew members, supervisors, medical providers and other witnesses as part of building the case.
Explaining pain that did not resolve with the first operation
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team took testimony from Christina’s foot-and-ankle specialist to explain why her symptoms had persisted and what additional treatment she needed.
He described both joint pain and a separate source of nerve pain near her surgical incision. Injections helped distinguish those problems and provided relief, but the relief did not last. Eventually, he removed the earlier hardware and treated a small nerve trapped in scar tissue.
That treatment involved a tradeoff. Removing the affected portion of the nerve could help with pain, but it left an area of permanent numbness. The doctor explained that it did not make her entire foot numb.
This testimony gave the case a clear medical account of Christina’s treatment: an initial ligament injury, continued pain after surgery, further evaluation and another procedure. It helped explain why the consequences could not be measured by the first operation alone.
A confidential settlement for the offshore injury
Christina pursued treatment while trying to return to work. Her recovery included additional surgery and complications requiring further medical care.
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team developed the liability and medical evidence and continued negotiations after an earlier mediation did not resolve the case. The parties ultimately reached a confidential settlement.
The result followed work on both parts of the claim: investigating the stairway where Christina fell and explaining the continuing effects of her ankle injury.
Questions about the case
Related legal help
Learn about maritime injury claims, or read about Jones Act claims.
To speak with Vuk Vujasinovic about a serious injury, call 877-724-7800 for a free consultation.
Every case is different. Prior results depend on the facts of the individual case and do not guarantee a similar outcome.