Case at a glance
- Recovery: $900,000 Settlement
- Injury: Herniated cervical disc requiring surgery
- Practice: Maritime injuries
- Attorney: Brian Beckcom
A repair left a dangerous walking surface
Freddy worked as a laborer on a jack-up drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. When a tank overflowed in the sump room, a coworker went to address the problem. The repair required removing grating from a surface employees used to walk through the room.
The grate was not properly put back. Freddy was called to assist, stepped onto it and fell when it gave way. What began as a request to help with an overflowing tank ended in a neck injury requiring surgery.
A neck injury requiring surgery
The fall caused a herniated disc in Freddy’s neck. He underwent surgery and pursued compensation for his medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
The company disputed the damages Freddy sought. Establishing how the fall happened was one part of the case; addressing the consequences of the neck injury was another.
Challenging the attempt to blame Freddy
Freddy sued his offshore employer, alleging that it was responsible for the coworker’s failure to replace the walking grate properly. The company initially contended that Freddy was partly or entirely responsible for his own injuries.
The claim focused on the condition left behind after the repair: a grate that workers relied on as a walking surface had not been properly secured. Freddy’s position was that the employer was responsible for its employee’s failure to put it back safely.
Brian represented Freddy as the case moved forward in federal court in Lufkin, Texas. The team pursued both responsibility for the fall and compensation for the resulting neck injury.
A $900,000 settlement before trial
The case resolved before trial for $900,000. The settlement followed a dispute over both responsibility for the unsafe grate and the damages resulting from Freddy’s injury.
For Freddy, the claim began with a simple workplace fact: a walking surface had been disturbed during a repair and had not been secured before he was called to help. His case brought that condition and his need for neck surgery into focus.
Questions about the case
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