A marine center has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an accident that resulted in a worker suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Phat Tan Nguyen was hired by a yacht owner to wrap a yacht in plastic as a paint overspray barrier at Lauderdale Marine Center in August 2007. During the work, Nguyen fell 32 feet to the ground, which led to years of rehabilitation at an assisted care facility. His guardian, Ngan Oliver, sued LMC for negligence. The company denied negligence, arguing only the yacht owner, who hired Nguyen to do the work, owed a duty to him. LMC added Nguyen’s removal of a work-area safety harness was to blame for his injuries. The jury agreed, finding no negligence on LMC’s part.
