Case at a glance
- Recovery: Confidential Settlement
- Injury: Left-arm crush injury; 19 surgeries and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Practice: Maritime Injury Law
- Attorney: Vuk Vujasinovic
A maritime career interrupted by an arm injury
After serving in the Army, Keith obtained his GED and trained in welding and automotive machining. He later joined the International Union of Operating Engineers and worked aboard dredges and barges as a welder, deckhand and mate.
By the time of the accident, he had spent about 17 years in maritime work. He expected to continue in that industry until retirement.
A chain moved while the crew connected a hose
On December 24, 2009, Keith and other crew members were working aboard a barge for a dredging company. They were connecting a large flush hose to a heavy ball flange. A crane and chain supported the hose while the crew worked around its bolt holes.
As Keith reached beneath the pipe to put a nut on a bolt, the chain jerked. His left arm was caught between the chain and the metal hose assembly. He was taken to the emergency room.
Nineteen operations and continuing pain
Surgeons operated on Keith’s arm 19 times. Treatment restored some use of his hand and arm, but he continued to face substantial limitations and chronic pain.
He was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. The injuries and ongoing symptoms prevented him from returning to work, and his case had to account for long-term treatment as well as lost earning capacity.
Medical and economic experts evaluated those needs. Their opinions addressed Keith’s future care and the financial consequences of losing a career he had built over many years.
Examining the crane operation
VB Attorneys filed suit against the dredging company in Florida, working with local counsel. The firm took testimony from the people aboard the barge and retained a crane-safety expert to examine the operation.
The expert identified multiple safety-protocol failures that, in his opinion, contributed to the injury. That investigation supported the claim while the medical and economic evidence addressed what the injury meant for Keith’s future.
Negotiations continued after mediation
The case went to mediation in 2014 but did not settle that day. Vuk and VB Attorneys continued negotiating with the dredging company, and an agreement followed about a month later.
The confidential settlement resolved Keith’s claim with his future medical care and long-term needs at the center of the case.
Questions about the case
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