The Jalakrishna Q.B.D. (Adm. Ct.) (Sheen J.) - 9 December 1982

Practice - Whether personal injuries action should be stayed

The defendants, Scindia Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. of Bombay, owned the vessel Jalakrishna . The plaintiff was an Indian seaman who claimed damages for personal injuries received during an accident at sea. The accident occurred during rough weather some 300 miles southeast of Newfoundland. The plaintiff was helping to re-secure a container when the vessel rolled suddenly, causing the containers to shift and crush the plaintiff’s left leg against the hatch coaming. The leg was subsequently amputated below the knee after surgery in Newfoundland and London.