BBR has been retained by a seafarer who was injured while working as a sous chef aboard the mega yacht Solemates. The seafarer alleges in a Florida lawsuit that she was ordered to lift an overhead hatch that was damaged and ill maintained. Given its condition, the hatch required an extraordinary amount of force to lift. While attempting to open the hatch open as ordered, the seafarer sustained a significant personal injuries including a C5/6 left posterolateral disc herniation causing compression on the left spinal court and posterior displacement of the left C7 nerve root. The complaint alleges that her employer was negligent, among other reasons, for failing to maintain or replace the hatch and that the Solemate was unseaworthy giving the poor condition of the hatch she was ordered to open. The Complaint also seeks damages for her employer’s continued failure to pay for her medical care and treatment as required under the law.
