Romano v. United States

• Decision Date: 25 April 1950
• Citation: 90 F. Supp. 15
• Parties: ROMANO v. UNITED STATES et al.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York

90 F. Supp. 15

ROMANO v. UNITED STATES et al.

United States District Court S. D. New York.

April 25, 1950.

Philip F. DiCostanzo, Brooklyn, N. Y., Jacob Rassner, New York City, of counsel, for libelant.

Irving H. Saypol, U. S. Atty. for Southern Dist. of N. Y., New York City, for respondent United States.

Corydon B. Dunham, New York City, for respondent A. L. Burbank & Co., Limited, C. B. Dunham, New York City, X. N. Sardaro, and J. J. O'Brien, New York City, of counsel.

John P. Smith, New York City, Albert Commette, New York City, of counsel, for respondent-impleaded.

S. H. KAUFMAN, District Judge.

Libelant, a longshoreman employed by Nessa Corporation, brings this suit against the United States of America and A. L. Burbank & Co. Ltd. to recover damages for injuries sustained by him on January 27, 1945 while working on board the S. S. Willie Jones. Respondents, claiming a right to indemnity, impleaded Nessa Corporation.

On the day of the accident, Nessa Corporation was loading general cargo from the dock into the hold of the S. S. Willie Jones. Libelant was employed as a gangwayman and, as such, was charged with signaling the operators of the winches, which hauled the cargo from the dock into the hold.

Just prior to the accident, which occurred between 9:30 and 10:00 a. m. on January 27, 1950, a draft had been unloaded in the hold of No. 3 hatch, and the skid on which the load had been carried had been lifted out of the hold for the purpose of getting it back to the dock, so that it could be reloaded.

After the draft had come clear of the hatch, and was about to be taken from the up and down winch on to the Burton winch, the skid fell, hit the deck, and in its flight came in contact with libelant and threw him to the deck. As a result, he sustained injuries on the right side of his back and the right side of his head, and a laceration on the right side of the bridge of his nose.

At the outset of the trial, respondent, the United States, urged that the suit could not be maintained since libelant had received and accepted compensation under the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C.A. § 901 et seq. The evidence showed that libelant did file a claim for compensation under the Act and that pursuant thereto his medical expenses were paid and he received and accepted approximately $102, representing loss of wages. In addition, as a result of a conference with a claims examiner of the Commission and a memorandum by him, libelant also received and accepted some $200 as compensation for the scar which resulted from the laceration on the bridge of his nose. It is clear from the evidence, however, that the compensation was not accepted "under an award in a compensation order filed by the deputy commissioner". Therefore, the contention of respondent, the United States, must be overruled. American Stevedores v. Porello, 330 U.S. 446, 454-456, 67 S.Ct. 847, 91 L.Ed. 1011; Grasso v. Lorentzen, D.C., 56 F.Supp. 51, affirmed, 2 Cir., 149 F.2d 127, certiorari denied 326 U.S. 743, 66 S.Ct. 57, 90 L.Ed. 444; 33 U.S.C.A. § 933(b).

At the trial, libelant sought to prove that the United States, the owner of the vessel, negligently failed to furnish libelant with a safe place to work, in that the accident was due to a failure of steam pressure in the lines leading to the winches, thereby causing the skid to fall.

In support of its contention as to liability, libelant called three witnesses: Charles Di Somma, Catiello Cherco and Joe Balarda.

Di Somma testified that he was the hatch boss on No. 4 hatch on the day of the accident. He did not see the accident, but was one of the persons who picked libelant off the deck after the accident had occurred. He stated that the winches were not receiving enough steam and that he had so informed an officer of the ship and the head foreman. This witness also stated that he knew nothing about the operation of winches; that he talked to no one about the case since 1945; and that the men from Nessa Corporation had been working on the ship for only two or three days before the accident.

On the whole the testimony of this witness was most unsatisfactory. He was indefinite with respect to all matters except (1) that there was a failure of steam in the winches, and (2) that he had complained of the failure to the head foreman and to some officer of the ship.

His testimony was such that no finding could properly be based thereon.

Joseph Balarda was the head foreman of the men from Nessa Corporation on the day of the accident. His testimony was so colored as to be unworthy of belief. It does not warrant any analysis.

Cherco was the winchman operating the Burton winch at the No. 3 hatch. He testified that the draft in question consisted only of the skid; that after it had cleared the hold and was about to be taken over by the Burton winch for the purpose of carrying it over the side of the ship and on to the dock, the draft fell, hitting the deck of the ship, and as it bounced, part of the skid struck libelant. Cherco also testified that the fall of the draft was due to the failure of steam "without notice"; that he called to libelant to "watch"; and that in an effort to stop the fall of the draft, he put his foot on the brake as the skid hit or was a short distance from the deck. This witness also stated that four or five minutes after the accident, the same winches were used to take libelant from the deck of the vessel to the dock, and that the men continued to work the winches after the accident. He also stated that there had been previous failures of steam every once in a while and that he had informed libelant of that fact.

Officers and engineers of the S. S....