A former deckhand of the M/V Caroline Morrison recently filed a $2 million lawsuit arising out of the personal injuries that he suffered after falling from the ship. The deckhand says that he fell from the ship in the summer of 2010 after the captain suddenly moved the ship.

Merchant seamen who are injured on the job may be entitled to significant compensation for their personal injuries. Many seamen are under the mistaken impression that they have to settle for what is in their union contract. An experienced maritime lawyer can help a seaman explore his or her options regarding additional benefits and compensation after a work-related injury. This is important because injured seamen should be able to get all of the compensation that they deserve.

In the case of the deckhand who fell overboard, the deckhand said that he was standing on the stern of the ship because he had to tie the vessel to an offshore platform. The captain suddenly moved the ship forward however, which threw the deckhand off of the ship, according to the lawsuit.

Fortunately the deckhand was able to swim to a platform leg and cling to it until he was pulled back on the ship.

The deckhand seeks damages for impairment of wage earning capacity, loss of lifestyle, physical injuries, disabilities and emotional distress, among other things. It is unclear whether the deckhand will ultimately be successful in his litigation against his former employer, but this is an important example of a maritime employee not taking his injury lightly or settling for a meager compensation package dictated by a union contract.

Source: The Louisiana Record, "Deckhand sues for $2 million after falling overboard," Michelle Keahey, Jan. 20, 2012