A worker on an offshore oil well is suing a maritime transport company for injuries he suffered due to the company's skeleton crew that allegedly was poorly trained.
Harold B. Lott Jr. filed a complaint and request for a jury trial July 10 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Sea Horse Marine Inc.
On July 14, 2014, Lott Jr., of Mississippi, was working for Woodgroup PSN as an operator on an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico just outside Louisiana's territorial waters, according to the lawsuit. That day, the lawsuit states, while Lott Jr. was making a swing transfer to the defendant's marine vessel Lanie Marie with no crew member to secure him, Lott Jr. fell onto the crew boat's deck and injured his right knee.
According to the lawsuit, the Lanie Marie had insufficient crew and what crew it did have was allegedly trained poorly in swing transfers.
In addition to his injury, the plaintiff allegedly suffered and will continue to suffer pain and suffering, loss of wages and earning capacity, disability, and medical expenses.
Lott Jr. seeks unspecified damages, plus interest, court costs and legal fees.
The plaintiff is represented by Jonathan H. Adams and Peter S. Koeppel of Koeppel and Traylor in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:15-cv-02521-MLCF-KWR.