Ruth
Madison County Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth on Dec. 23 approved plaintiff Shannon Blair's withdrawal of his motion to dismiss his case against a Hartford-based barge repair facility and shipyard.
Blair claims his right arm was mangled when a large metal ball attached to a crane fell on his arm while he was working on a barge on the Upper Mississippi River.
The complaint says the barge, named BB-1, was an uninspected vessel.
As a result of his injuries, Blair expects to experience pain and mental suffering in the future, as well as to incur medical expenses in the future.
The complaint says the barge was not seaworthy. The crane operator allegedly was not properly trained, and the crane was not properly inspected. The crane also had a propensity to permit the ball to drop when it was configured in the manner it was set up on July 20, 2009, Blair contends.
Roy Dripps and Charles Armbruster are the attorneys for the plaintiff.
D. Jeffrey Ezra is the attorney for the defendant.
On Nov. 4, Ruth had ordered a trial to begin Jan. 23.
Madison County Case number:10-L-52.