Timothy Vandenboom has filed a compelling lawsuit against his former employer, Terral Riverservice, Inc., alleging negligence under the Jones Act. The complaint was filed on March 25, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The case centers around a serious motor vehicle accident that occurred following an extended work shift.
According to the complaint, Vandenboom was employed by Terral Riverservice as a crewmember aboard the MV MARY E. GATTLE. On May 24, 2022, after working a grueling double shift from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., he and fellow crewmember Ethan Redd were tasked with returning a company vehicle to Lettsworth, Louisiana. Tragically, at approximately 1:15 a.m. on May 25, while traveling on Interstate 55 South in Madison County, Mississippi, they were involved in an accident. The vehicle veered off the road and rolled over into a ditch. Vandenboom sustained severe injuries including fractures and traumatic brain injury.
Vandenboom's lawsuit accuses Terral Riverservice of negligence for expecting employees to drive long distances without adequate rest after lengthy shifts. He alleges that this expectation directly contributed to the accident and his subsequent injuries. The complaint highlights multiple failures by Terral Riverservice including not providing safe supervisors or co-employees and failing to ensure safe driving conditions or adequate rest periods for its workers.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for past and future physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, economic losses, loss of earning capacity, and medical expenses. Additionally, Vandenboom is pursuing punitive damages due to what he claims is Terral Riverservice’s failure to pay maintenance or cure as required by law.
Representing Timothy Vandenboom are attorneys Frank E. Lamothe III and Julien G. Lamothe from Lamothe Law Firm LLC based in New Orleans. The case ID is 2:25-cv-00577.