$4.5 Million Settlement for Tugboat Worker Paralyzed in Engine Room Fall

Latti Associates secured a $4.5 million settlement for a maritime worker who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury after falling through an open hatch aboard the VALIANT, a 130-foot ocean-going tug undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Tampa, Florida.

While carrying equipment across the vessel, the worker fell approximately 14 feet through an unprotected engine room hatch, resulting in a T6 spinal cord injury that left him permanently paraplegic.

Falls through open hatches are among the most serious hazards aboard commercial vessels and shipyards. Maritime employers and vessel owners have a duty to maintain safe working conditions and protect crew members from known fall hazards. When they fail to do so, injured maritime workers may have legal rights under the Jones Act, general maritime law, and claims for unseaworthiness.

The $4.5 million settlement provides compensation for the client’s catastrophic injuries, permanent disability, medical care, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a tugboat accident, shipyard accident, open hatch fall, or other maritime work accident, Latti Associates has decades of experience representing injured seamen and maritime workers throughout the United States.