Court Opinion

ID: 9446598
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 21:59:16.965826+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:42.823828
License: Public Domain

KAUFMAN, District Judge
(dissenting).
I fully agree with the majority as to the insufficiency of the lower court’s charge with respect to plaintiff’s status at the time he was injured. On that ground, I would reverse and remand. However, the majority has gone further and directed a dismissal of the complaint and on this point I must regretfully dissent.
In effect, the court finds as a matter of law that the plaintiff was not injured in the course of his employment as a seaman or crew member. As the majority concedes this is a factual question and as such is properly left to the jury whose finding will not be disturbed if there is any evidence to support it. In my opinion there was sufficient evidence in this case to enable a jury to reasonably find that plaintiff was a seaman in the course of his employment at the time he was injured. See Grimes v. Raymond Concrete Pile Co., 1958, 356 U.S. 252, 78 S.Ct. 687, 2 L.Ed.2d 737; Butler v. Whiteman, 1958, 356 U.S. 271, 78 S.Ct. 734, 2 L.Ed.2d 754; Senko v. LaCrosse Dredging Co., 1957, 352 U.S. 370, 77 S. Ct. 415, 1 L.Ed.2d 404.
I would therefore reverse and remand for a new trial.