Case at a glance
- Recovery: $400,000 Settlement
- Injury: Broken neck requiring fusion surgery
- Practice: Maritime Injury Law
- Attorney: Brian Beckcom
A repair stop at an unfamiliar dock
Robert was working as a towboat captain when a line became fouled in his vessel’s engine. His supervisor directed him to a Galveston dock, where a diver had been arranged to free the line.
The dock dispatcher directed the vessel into a slip designed for ocean-going ships rather than an inland towboat. Robert’s boat deck sat about six feet below the dock. The difference in height mattered: reaching the dock required climbing the timbers and bumpers between the two.
The climb ended in a fall onto the boat
After clearing the line, the diver climbed from the vessel to the dock. A deckhand followed. Robert attempted the same route. At the top of the climb, he slipped and fell backward onto his boat’s deck.
He broke his neck and needed fusion surgery. The case also included his claim that a head injury had caused memory problems. His medical treatment and the prospect of future care made the consequences extend far beyond the repair that had brought his vessel to the dock.
Addressing both the dock and the employment relationship
Brian represented Robert in litigation involving the dock operator and his employer. The circumstances required attention to more than the moment he slipped: his supervisor had sent the vessel for repairs, the dispatcher had selected the slip, and the height difference shaped the available route ashore.
The case resolved through settlements with both companies. The dock operator paid $75,000 and the employer paid $325,000, producing a combined $400,000 settlement.
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