$160,000 Settlement
Captain on research sailing vessel was injured during a retrofit of the vessel. When the sailing vessel was out of the water in a cradle, the captain was doing work on the deck sanding. As he was emptying out the sander over the rail, the latch on the railing let go and the plaintiff fell approximately 20 feet to the ground. Plaintiff was very lucky in that he only broke his leg, fractured some ribs and had a partial collapsed lung. Liability focused on the unseaworthiness of the gate and the railing in that it did not have adequate hinges to hold crew and passengers inside the vessel. Settlement was for the plaintiff’s pain and suffering, as he had limited lost wages and was able to return back to work in his full capacity.