NEW ORLEANS – An employee of Allison Marine Contractors is filing suit against the company seeking damages for allegedly unpaid overtime and a purportedly work-related injury.
Bruce Lodrigue filed a lawsuit on March 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against the contracting company citing alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Jones Act and general maritime law.
Lodrigue asserts that he was hired by defendant to work on a group of vessels owned by it when, on or about Dec. 17, 2014, a large pipe suddenly fell on him, crushing his right leg as well has injuring other parts of his body. He alleges that defendant negligently failed to maintain a seaworthy vessel, failed to provide minimum safety requirements, failed to provide adequate equipment for the job, and failed to properly train and supervise its employees.
Lodrigue also claims that he was not properly compensated for the overtime hours he worked in excess of 40 hours a week while employed at Allison Marine. He asserts that he worked, on average, 50 or more hours a week but was not paid overtime due to defendant willfully misclassifying him as an independent contractor rather than as an employee. He has alleged that, due to all of the actions of defendant, he has suffered financial loss, loss of wages, emotional pain, physical disability, mental anguish and medical expenses.
He is now suing for reasonable, compensatory, special and general damages for his injuries; for overtime compensation at a rate of one-and-one-half times his regular hourly wages; liquidated damages; maintenance benefits as well as cure benefits; and any other rewards deemed proper by the court. He is represented by Timothy Young, Tammy D. Harris, Megan C. Misko and Daniel J. Poolson Jr. from The Young Firm and Christopher L. Williams from Williams Litigation LLC in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-02441-JCZ-MBN