Case at a glance
- Recovery: Confidential Settlement
- Practice: Maritime Injury Law
- Representation: Brian Beckcom and VB Attorneys.
Back pain across two hitches
Nick first experienced serious lower-back pain late in an offshore hitch. He reported it as a non-work-related problem, finished the hitch and went home. During the following month’s hitch, the pain returned and extended into his hip and leg.
He again described the symptoms as unrelated to work. Those descriptions also reached his first treating doctors. Nick eventually underwent surgery to address a lumbar disc.
Afterward, his surgeon cleared him to return to work. Rowan’s doctor disagreed and insisted that Nick needed another operation involving a second spinal level. Rowan would not clear him to return offshore.
Looking beyond the initial reports
Nick remained on disability until his benefits expired. An earlier lawyer pursued a disability-discrimination claim. Nick then sought Brian’s help with the maritime case.
Brian and his team examined the physical demands of Nick’s offshore work and Rowan’s approach to ergonomic safety. The case developed into a repetitive-injury claim rather than a claim built around one fall or one lifting accident.
The investigation found gaps in ergonomic policies, evaluation and training. Company records showed that Rowan had not documented ergonomic safety training for Nick. The evidence also challenged whether qualified specialists had evaluated the rigs and the demands of the work.
Those issues mattered because Nick had initially described the condition as unrelated to work. Brian’s team developed evidence connecting the repetitive work to his back injury and addressed the earlier reports.
A confidential settlement with Rowan
Nick had resumed working by the time his case settled.
Rowan agreed to mediate in September 2018. Brian and his team negotiated a confidential settlement that resolved Nick’s Jones Act claim.
The case examined how an offshore employer assessed repetitive physical work, trained its employees and responded when a surgeon cleared an injured worker but the company’s doctor would not permit his return offshore.
Questions about the case
Related legal help
An injury at sea can affect your work, your treatment and your family. Talk with Brian Beckcom and VB Attorneys about what happened. Call 877-724-7800 for a free consultation.
Related case results
Every case is different. Prior results depend on the facts of the individual case and do not guarantee a similar outcome.