On March 2, a deckhand injured in a slip-and-fall accident netted $1,800 in a bench trial — far less than the $630,000 he had been seeking. In 2006, Orlando Ramirez was working on a vessel owned and operated by the American Pollution Control Corp. (AMPOL) when he slipped on a wet rubber glove on the floor. He sustained neck and shoulder injuries, which he said prevent him from returning to work. Ramirez argued the ship was unseaworthy due to the presence of the glove on the deck and claimed AMPOL was negligent under the Jones Act. The defense argued Ramirez caused the incident himself. The vessel captain testified that he saw Ramirez throw the glove on the deck and told him to pick it up (Ramirez denied this). The judge found AMPOL 60 percent and Ramirez 40 percent liable. The $3,000 damages award was therefore reduced to $1,800.
Ramirez v. American Pollution Control Corp., No. 3:06-cv-00796
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