Maritime lawyer Admiralty Lawyer Steven Thaler

Cases of Interest

Chief Engineer on a Super Tanker. Jury Award: $1,500,000.00. Offer to settle case before trial-$150,000.00. Client sustained a severe back injury when he slipped and fell on wet floor covered with ice while attempting to manually defrost the ship's refrigeration system. He had to engage in this work manually because the automatic defrost system was defective and not working. At the time of his injury he was 48 years old.

Third Assistant Engineer on a cargo ship. Jury Award: $506,880. Offer to settle case before trial-$15,000.00. Severe back injury caused by slip and fall on deck while working during rough weather made client permanently unfit for duty. At the time of his injury he was 56 years old. In this case the jury found that plaintiff was 4% contributory negligent and as a result of this finding the award would be reduced by this 4% factor. The trial judge, in reviewing the case, stated that he researched the reported maritime cases throughout the country and found that the jury’s finding of 4% contributory negligence was too low. He held that a new trial would be granted unless plaintiff accepted a contributory negligence factor of 25%. Both parties appealed to the Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. The Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the trial judge and remanded the case for him to again review the case to see if the 4% factor is supported by the facts. The trial judge reviewed the facts of the case as directed and reversed his decision, reinstating the verdict and the 4% finding of contributory negligence. Akermanis v. Sealand Service, Inc., 521 F. Supp 44, 688 F.2d 898, cert. Den. 461 U.S. 927, 103 S.Ct. 2087, appeal after remand, 742. F2d. 1431, cert. Den. 464. U.S. 1039, 104 S.Ct. 700.

First Assistant Engineer on a Super Tanker. Settlement: $962,650.00 during trial. Client sustained a serious knee injury as a result of a slip and fall caused by oil spill in engine room as a result of a defective and ruptured hydraulic line. He had several operations and was rendered permanently unfit for duty. He was 36 years old at the time of his injury. Offer of $400,000 to settle case before trial.

Seaman on a cargo ship sustained serious injury to three toes on his right toes when a heavy spreader fell on his right foot. Jury Award: $486,000.00. Offer before trial, $110,000.00.

Seaman on a tug boat sustained serious back injury while attempting to loosen a fuel pipe cap which was in a rusted condition. Jury Award: $285,000.00. Offer before trial, $60,000.00.

13-year-old girl who nearly drowned in the deep end of a hotel swimming pool that was not equipped with a safety line that marked entry to the deep end of the pool from the shallow end, resulting in severe brain damage. Settlement: $4,000,000.00 during trial.

Third Mate on a tanker. Settlement $5,500,000.00 shortly before trial. Client, 22 years old, sustained serious head injury when he fell approximately 45 feet from a ladder in the vessel’s cargo tank. Client had no recall of how the injury occurred. As a result of extensive investigations by experts, it was demonstrated that the injury was caused by a defective ladder, inadequate lighting and the failure to properly train or supervise the plaintiff who was inexperienced and still in training. In addition to this settlement, client is receiving approximately $17,000.00 a year under his employer’s disability insurance policy until age 65.

Engineer on a tug boat. Settlement: $875,000.00 several days before trial. Client, 36 years old, sustained serious injury to his wrist when his hand was caught in the tug's towing line. Offer to settle prior to the above settlement was $150,000.00.

Third Mate on Cable Ship. Settlement: $600,000.00 shortly before case was scheduled to go to trial. Offer to settle case prior to the above settlement amount was $150,000.00. Client was struck on the head by a floatation buoy attached to cable equipment that was being raised from the ocean floor to the vessel's deck. As a result, the client experiences vertigo and is unable to return to the sea.