EAST ST. LOUIS — A seaman working on an American Commercial Barge Lines vessel claims he fell down metal stairs and suffered injuries.
David Laird filed a complaint May 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against American Commercial Barge Lines LLC.
According to his complaint, Laird is an American seaman who was working as a crew member aboard the defendant's vessel on the Ohio River at Cairo on Nov. 29, 2018. He alleges that he maintained "a work flat tied off and adjacent to a dock barge" and that access from the dock barge to the work flat was through metal stairs. Laird claims that as he was attempting to step up from the deck of the dock barge onto the landing at the top of grated metal stairs, he fell down the stairs and suffered serious injuries including to his shoulder.
He further claims the landing at the top of the metal stairs was "two feet higher" than the dock barge deck and that there was no ramp leading from the barge deck to the stair's landing. Laird alleges the defendants failed to provide safe access from the dock barge to the landing.
Laird seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by Paul Henry of The Paul Henry Firm in Metropolis.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:21-CV-00517