Opinion ID: 454582
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The State Court Suit

Text: 2 This suit had its genesis in a state court action initiated in January 1978 by Woodrow Rivers against Meldeans, Elevating, and Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp. Rivers served as the captain and sole crew member of a vessel owned by Elevating and operated by Meldeans. In January 1977, Rivers fell into a large hole on or near a pier owned or operated by Schlumberger. A few days after the accident Meldeans and Elevating were made aware of the accident and the injury to Rivers. Rivers never returned to work, and he underwent continuous medical treatment, culminating in a major surgery to his back in November 1977. Correspondence from Rivers' counsel to Meldeans and Elevating both before and after the surgery revealed the distinct possibility that Rivers might be totally and permanently disabled. 3 Two months after the surgery Rivers sued Meldeans, Elevating, and Schlumberger for damages under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. Sec. 688 (1982), and general maritime law. After a two-day bench trial held in May 1979, nearly two and one-half years after the accident, the state district court sitting without a jury determined that Meldeans alone was the Jones Act employer of Rivers and that Meldeans breached its duty to furnish Rivers with a safe means of ingress to and egress from the vessel. It accordingly entered judgment for Rivers and against Meldeans in the amount of $229,000.00. Since the court concluded that neither Elevating nor Schlumberger were Jones Act employers of Rivers, they were exonerated of liability. The Louisiana Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment in Rivers v. Schlumberger, 389 So.2d 807 (La.Ct.App.1980).