Winfield v. United Fruit Co.

Defendant, a New Jersey corporation, operates a fleet of three, and sometimes more, steamships between the port of San Francisco and certain points in Central and South America. The vessels touch at Los Angeles on their north-bound trips. Appellant was hired by respondent at San Francisco as a storekeeper aboard the S. S. “Chiriqui” for her voyage from San Francisco to Port Armuelles, Panama, and return to San Francisco. While at sea off the Central American coast, plaintiff suffered an injury for which he brought this action in the municipal court, under the so-called Jones Act, being…