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LOUISIANA RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Man alleges he slipped on mud-covered deck and was injured

Cargo ship 04

NEW ORLEANS – A St. Mary Parish man has filed suit against his Houma employer alleging he was injured while on the job.

Desmond Declouet filed a complaint on June 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Chet Morrison Contractors LLC alleging that the barge operator failed to provide a seaworthy vessel.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Dec. 29, 2015, while he was removing pipe from the defendant vessel's sea bed, he was ordered to retrieve a hammer located on the opposite side of the vessel. Upon contact with the deck, which was wet and covered with mud, the suit states his feet slipped, causing him to fall and resulting in injuries to his neck, back and body that necessitate surgical intervention.

The plaintiff holds Chet Morrison Contractors LLC responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to provide a safe place to work, failed to ensure that the vessel deck surfaces were clean, created and allowed the existence of a dangerous condition and failed to warn crew members.

The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendant for monetary damages, plus interest, cost of this proceeding and for all equitable relief as the law may allow. He is represented by Joseph F. Gaar Jr., Jason M. Welborn, Lucas S. Colligan, Jacob H. Hargett of Gaar Law Firm in Lafayette.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-09987

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