NEW ORLEANS – A St. Tammany Parish man and his family have filed suit against his employer and a barge owner after he was allegedly injured on the job.
Dwayne Melancon and his wife Kera Melancon, individually and on behalf of their minor children Kallye, Peyton and Koby, filed a complaint on April 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Gaubert Oil Co. Inc. and Low Land Construction Co. Inc. alleging negligence.
According to the complaint, on Aug. 24, 2016, Dwayne Melancon was employed as a tankerman by Gaubert when he was caused serious injuries to his lumbar spine and right wrist when he fell from the upper deck to the lower deck of the stairwell of defendant Low Land's tugboat because the boat allided with a rock barge. He alleges he has suffered mental and physical pain, lost wages and medical expenses. Plaintiff Kera Melancon and their minor children allege they have suffered a loss of consortium, love and affection of Dwayne Melancon.
The plaintiffs hold Gaubert Oil Co. Inc. and Low Land Construction Co. Inc. responsible because defendant Low Land allegedly failed to properly maintain generators, to sound appropriate alarms and to take appropriate steps to protect the personnel aboard the tugboat.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory damages of $5 million and punitive damages of $3 million, costs of these proceedings and all appropriate, general and equitable relief. They are represented by Thomas M. Discon and Charlotte Discon Strief of Discon Law Firm in Mandeville.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:17-cv-02905