Maise V. River Ventures, Llc

Case Background

On September 11, 2023, Todd Maize filed a personal injury lawsuit against River Ventures, LLC. He suffered comminuted bilateral heel fractures while deboarding and jumping to the dock. In his Jones Act lawsuit, Maize accused his marine employer of negligence during the deboarding process. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Louisiana Eastern (New Orleans). The case was assigned to Judge Carl J Barbier and referred to Magistrate Judge Michael North. [Case number: 2:23cv5186]

Cause

On May 25, 2023, Todd Maize, a 45-year-old tugboat captain from Beeville, TX, worked as a relief captain aboard the M/V Independence for River Ventures. He was in the midst of a two-week assignment, navigating the Intracoastal Waterway near Houma while towing two empty barges. Plaintiff Maize had planned to leave the vessel early for a personal matter, namely a seafood boil he had scheduled that evening for his catering business. Maize and the new captain of the Independence, Tyrone Veal, made plans to drop him off at a dock near Houma. Maize had arranged for a friend to pick him up. At the designated time, Veal piloted the vessel to the chosen dock. Maize grabbed his bags and made his way to the side of the barge to climb down. He placed his feet on a small indentation along the side of the barge as he prepared to step onto the dock. The maneuver, however, was complicated by heavy water traffic and poor lighting at the dock. Veal opted for a quick approach, even describing it as “a little sneaky.” As Maize readied himself to step onto the dock, the barge unexpectedly began to separate from the dock. What seemed like a safe departure quickly turned hazardous. Fearing he