Opinion ID: 294541
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: From the Depths

Text: 7 Although badly shaken, Longshoreman was nevertheless able to pick up the aluminum ladder and place it against the bulkhead at a point immediately below the end of the permanent ladder. He then 'carefully climbed up the ladder' and emerged from the depths (of the hold) onto the main deck. 8 On his climb back up the ladder he had noticed that the 'bracket was broken', that 'the right hand side going up was broken'. Longshoreman, in testifying about his observation, stated: 'The bar was broken across, and it was flat in, the peice from the wall to where the bar was bent down flat, and the bar was also bent in a little    the bar itself was bent in    (a) slight bend in the bar itself, a light curve in the bar    (which) curved in, towards the wall.' Longshoreman testified further that the bar did not contain an actual break, but that the break was in 'the bar that was coming from the wall    (that part) was broken and bent, mashed in, bent in.' Although the testimony was confusing because Longshoreman attempted to describe what had taken place, the trial Court was entitled to conclude impliedly that with the 'leg' part loosened from the bulkhead or the main hangar portion of the bracket, there was nothing to keep the ladder hooks from slipping off the bracket. 4 9