Cervical Decompression Injury and Aggravation of Facet and Degenerative Disc Disease

Plaintiff was a second mate on a tanker. Plaintiff injury was not the result of a specific instance but was from numerous times getting injured in the same spot. In order to access the pump room, the plaintiff had to go down several ladders. One ladder had an overhead platform with a beam that obstructed the passageway. Plaintiff hit his head numerous times on the beam. Negligence and unseaworthiness focused on the failure to remove the beam and for the defendant to correct the situation, even though they knew people were hitting their head. There was not sufficient clearance for a crew member to go up and down the ladder. The steel beam was a head-bumping hazard.