NEW ORLEANS – A pogie fishing crewman is taking his employers to court over injuries he allegedly suffered while on the clock.
Odell Grady Jr. filed a lawsuit Jan. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Court of Louisiana against Omega Protein Inc. over claims of negligence and creating an unsafe work place.
Grady asserts that on or about July 24, he was working as a mate on the Grand Batture, a pogie fishing vessel owned and operated by defendant. He claims that he was on the purse boat and was in the process of catching pogie fish. The process, plaintiff asserts, involved two purse ships circling around a school of pogie with a net and once the net is full, it is raised and the fish are vacuumed into the main ship. Grady alleges that he was finishing the operation when one of the ringsetters hit a wrong lever, which released the corks from their storage. The corks allegedly swung and struck plaintiff in the chest, knocking him down. The complaint states he sustained injuries to his knee, neck and back and is unable to work.
Grady asserts that he suffered lost wages, impairment, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish and medical expenses due to the negligence of defendant in providing and properly maintaining a safe working environment.
He is suing punitive damages, interests, and all general and equitable relief. He is represented by John L. Young of New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-00683-EEF-JCW