The National Trial Lawyers
  • Home
    • Meet Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Mission & Goals
    • FAQ
  • Webinars
  • News
  • Membership Directory
    • Top 100 Map – Civil Plaintiff
    • Top 100 Map – Criminal Defense
    • Top 40 Under 40 Map – Civil Plaintiff
    • Top 40 Under 40 Map – Criminal Defense
  • Top 100
    • Civil Plaintiff Officers / Executive Committee
    • Criminal Defense Officers / Executive Committee
    • Benefits
    • About
    • Top 100 Presidents Message
    • Diplomat
    • Membership Renewal
    • Member Profile Updates
    • Top 100 Badge
  • Top 40
    • Civil Plaintiff Officers / Executive Committee
    • Criminal Defense Officers / Executive Committee
    • Top 40 Under 40 Trial Academy Bootcamp
    • Benefits
    • About
    • Top 40 Presidents Message
    • Membership Renewal
    • Member Profile Updates
    • Top 40 Badge
  • Specialty Assoc
    • About
    • Shop
    • Officers
    • Membership Renewal
    • Member Profile Updates
  • Nominate
    • Top 100
    • Top 40
    • Specialty Association
    • Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame
    • Trial Lawyer of the Year
    • Trial Team of the Year
    • America’s Most Influential Trial Lawyer
    • America’s Most Influential Law Firm
    • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Shop
  • Magazine
    • A-List
  • Education and Networking Agenda
    • Trial Lawyers Summit
    • Top 40 Under 40 Trial Academy Boot Camp
    • Mass Torts Made Perfect
    • The Lanier Trial Academy Master Class 6.0
    • The Business Of Law
    • Webinars
  • Hall of Fame
    • Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame

$2.8M Verdict for Injured Seamen Who Fell Through Deck on Tugboat

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Larry Bodine
law news, legal news, verdict, settlement

Newsom stepped on an unsecured deck plate in the engine room, which gave way, causing him to fall through and suffer a leg injury.

A court in St. Louis awarded $2,888,888 in damages to a seaman on May 27, who was injured by hazardous conditions while repairing a tugboat in dry dock.

“This is a great verdict in a conservative jurisdiction,” said Brad Lakin of SL Chapman LLC, who represented Newsom and his wife, Amanda. “Paul Johnson, Rob Evola and our entire team did a fantastic job representing the wonderful Newsom family,” he said.

Seaman Robert Newsom was working for JanTran, Inc., which operates various tugboat vessels on the inland waters of the U.S. While working to re-wire the engine room of the M/V Riverton (a vessel owned by JantTran that had been removed from service for repairs), Newsom stepped on an unsecured deck plate in the engine room, which gave way, causing him to fall through and suffer a leg injury.

Newsom would have been protected from injury if JanTran had followed its own safety policy and fastened down deck plates in the work area — eliminating the safety hazard leading to Newsom’s injuries.

Instead, JanTran argued that Newsom wasn’t entitled to Jones Act protection because the M/V Riverton was under repair and not in service at the time of the incident. Newsom filed a lawsuit against Jantran seeking to enforce his rights under the Jones Act and general maritime law.

Following trial, the court agreed that JanTran failed to provide a safe work environment and awarded Mr. Newsom the following damages: $1,836,668.00 million for economic loss; $138,000.00 for future medical expenses; $792,000.00 for past and future mental anguish and suffering and feelings of economic insecurity; and $250,000.00 for past and future pain and suffering. The jury reduced the gross award by 56% for Newsom’s comparative fault.

“While no amount of money can change the past, it will help to provide our client with a brighter, more secure future. And, we are honored to have been able to protect Newsoms’ future by enforcing his rights under the Jones Act,” said attorney Paul Johnson.  SL Chapman LLC has been protecting maritime workers for years — seeking justice for maritime workers who are injured or killed on the job.

Posted in Blog

Comments are closed.

Recent Posts

Total Settlement in Surfside Condo Collapse Tops $1 Billion

Total Settlement in Surfside Condo Collapse Tops $1 Billion

May 25th, 2022

The proposed settlement reached nearly a year after the catastrophic Surfside building collapse along the South Flo[Read More...]
UCLA Will Pay Nearly $700 Million in Abuse Lawsuits

UCLA Will Pay Nearly $700 Million in Abuse Lawsuits

May 25th, 2022

The University of California system announced Tuesday it will pay nearly $375 million to more than 300 women who said they we[Read More...]
Things to Consider When You Sue an Insurance Provider

Things to Consider When You Sue an Insurance Provider

May 24th, 2022

We are all too acquainted with insurance coverage in our everyday lives. According to Investopedia, everyone should have[Read More...]
The Rochester Diocese Offers a $147 Million Settlement to Sex Abuse Survivors

The Rochester Diocese Offers a $147 Million Settlement to Sex Abuse Survivors

May 23rd, 2022

The Rochester Catholic Diocese is offering a $147 million settlement to sex abuse survivors. This offer comes as a federal ba[Read More...]
Jury Awards $77.5 Million to an Army Veteran in a 3M Earplug Case

Jury Awards $77.5 Million to an Army Veteran in a 3M Earplug Case

May 23rd, 2022

A jury in Pensacola, Fla., federal court on Friday ordered 3M to pay $77.5 million to a U.S. Army veteran who said he suffe[Read More...]

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Attorney information and content provided on this website is provided for the benefit of members of The National Trial Lawyers and as a public service by Legal Associations Management, Inc. The website and all data are the property of Legal Associations Management, Inc. Data, including without limitation attorney information and content, on the site may not be mined, sold, or used commercially for any purpose without the explicit written consent of Legal Associations Management, Inc. This site may not be accessed by any automated program for extracting data for any use. By accessing and using the site you agree that you will not develop, support or use software, devices, scripts, robots, or any other means or processes (including crawlers, browser plug-ins and add-ons, or any other technology) to scrape data or otherwise copy profiles and other data. Unauthorized use or attempted unauthorized use of this system may subject you to both civil and criminal penalties.