Moore
Moore v. United States
Opinion
lead Opinion
Harris, J.
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION
This case arises from a complaint filed on January 28, 1970, by the plaintiff, a merchant marine seaman, alleging injuries sustained aboard a vessel because of its unseaworthiness and defendant’s negligence. The matter was tried to the court on June 28 and 29, 1972, and thereafter taken under submission for decision.
The court finds and concludes as follows :
Plaintiff Booker T. Moore was born in 1926 in British Guinea. He worked as a merchant marine seaman from 1949, and in the United States from 1953, until he ceased such work in late 1970. In the course of his work plaintiff obtained ratings for several different jobs aboard ship, including that of electrician.
In 1968, plaintiff was employed aboard the SS WHITTIER VICTORY as second electrician. Ratings for electricians do not distinguish between “chief” and “second” or other electricians, and plaintiff had served in the past as a chief electrician as well as second electrician. It was the job of plaintiff as second electrician and of Mr. Gomez, the chief electrician, to attend to the shipboard duties normally assigned to electricians, including the maintenance and repair of electric winches.