NEW ORLEANS – A deckhand who allegedly suffered severe injuries to his hand is now filing a suit against his employers.
Kaniel R. Knighten filed a lawsuit Jan. 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Associated Terminals of St. Bernard LLC over claims of negligence.
Knighten asserts that he was employed by defendant as a deckhand and member of the crew of vessel T. Lange at the time of the incident, which allegedly occurred on July 12, 2014. On that day, Knighten claims that he was attempting to perform his assigned duties on the T. Lange when he was tying the stern line from an adjacent barge. While he was unraveling the line, Knighten claims that the slack on the stern line came out of his left hand and whipped and struck his right forearm. Knighten alleges to have suffered traumatic, severe, permanent and disabling injuries to his right upper extremity, including his right arm, wrist, and hand and connective nerves, joints and tissues.
He claims that, as a result of defendant's negligence and the unseaworthiness of T. Lange, he suffered loss of wages, impaired functionality, physical and mental pain, scarring, loss of enjoyment of life and future medical care.
He is suing for compensatory damages, interests, and for any other general and equitable relief. He is represented by Paul M. Sterbcow and Beth E. Abramson of Lewis, Sterbcow & Abramson in New Orleans and Byron Bonck in Metairie.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-00812