Man Files Suit For Father's Death On Sunken Ship

With his father likely still entombed in a vessel resting at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico after the fatal personal injuries he suffered when the ship sank, Walter Morales has filed a Jones Act suit against his father’s employer.

Morales filed suit against John Landry Jr. and Jeffrey Williams on behalf of the late William Martinez in Texas’ Jefferson County District Court on December 18.

According to court papers, Martinez was employed as a seaman by Landry serving aboard the vessel Silver Wings on December 20, 2007.

The suit says that the suit sunk in the Gulf of Mexico more than 100 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana. Martinez’s body was never located and is presumed to still be on the vessel, which now rests at the bottom of the Gulf.

The suit does not provide specifics on how the ship sank, but claims the ship to have been unseaworthy.

The suit says that Williams, as the captain of the ship, had a duty to ensure the ship was safe for all members of the crew.

The suit alleges negligence against Williams and Landry for failure to provide a safe workplace for Martinez.

Morales seeks survival damages and damages for his father’s mental anguish.