Former SCF Lewis & Clark Fleeting, LLC, employee Tyler Johnson is suing the company for indirectly causing serious injury.
According to the official court filing, on July 26, 2020, Johnson was working as a deckhand assigned to the M/V Ernie T. Wellhausen, which SCF owned. Johnson was opening the port bow end cover top of a barge in the tow of the vessel when it allegedly struck a dock, causing Johnson to fall approximately 22 feet into the barge's empty cargo hold.
The filing claims that SCF had a legal responsibility to provide Johnson with a reasonably safe work environment, to comply with the proper government regulations and industry standards and to provide Johnson with reasonably safe tools and equipment. However, by allegedly failing to meet these legal standards, SCF indirectly caused Johnson to suffer serious and permanent injuries to his back. Johnson allegedly also lost both wages and a loss of earning capacity and is expected to continue to accrue costs related to medical care in the future.
Johnson is suing SCF on four counts: one count of violating the Jones Act, one count of violating general maritime law, and two counts of maintenance and cure. For each count, Johnson is seeking financial damages in an amount that is fair and adequate under the circumstances in addition to the costs of the suit and financial damages.