Jacob Brown, a longshoreman from Texas, has filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of the cargo ship M/V Spiekeroog following a severe injury he sustained while working aboard the vessel. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on October 18, 2024, targeting Conship Management GmbH and Spiekeroog GmbH & Co. KG as defendants.
The incident in question occurred on July 22, 2024, when Brown was employed by Gulf Stream Marine, Inc., and assigned to work on the M/V Spiekeroog at the Port of Lake Charles. During his shift, adverse weather conditions prompted the crew to halt operations. As Brown attempted to access a raised gangway over the vessel’s handrail, a hatch cover operated by a crew member unexpectedly rolled onto his hand and fingers, causing traumatic injuries including partial amputation. Brown alleges that this accident resulted from negligence on part of both Conship Management GmbH and Spiekeroog GmbH & Co. KG. He claims that their failure to ensure safe operational procedures and proper training directly led to his injuries.
Brown's lawsuit outlines multiple instances of alleged negligence by the defendants. These include failing to discharge duties under maritime law, improperly operating hatch covers without ensuring safety clearances, inadequate communication among crew members regarding safe operations, and not maintaining equipment according to safety standards. Furthermore, Brown accuses them of not implementing an effective Safety Management System (SMS) onboard that could have prevented such incidents through risk assessments and defined communication protocols.
In seeking justice for his ordeal, Jacob Brown is asking for damages covering physical disability, pain and suffering (both past and future), loss of earnings and earning capacity, medical expenses incurred due to his injuries, as well as compensation for physical disfigurement and impairment. Additionally, he seeks pre-judgment and post-judgment interest along with court costs. Brown has also requested a jury trial for all claims against both in personam defendants (Conship Management GmbH and Spiekeroog GmbH & Co. KG) as well as the in rem defendant (the M/V Spiekeroog).
Representing Jacob Brown are attorneys Allan L. Durand from Lafayette, Louisiana; Douglas T. Gilman; and Brenton J. Allison from Gilman & Allison LLP based in Pearland, Texas. The case has been filed under Case ID 2:24-cv-01437 with no specific judge mentioned yet.