Ferraro v. Terrence

The contracting stevedores against whom is this judgment were taking cargo into the lower hold without having fully opened the between-deck hatch. Because the size of the suspended loads was comparatively small, a fore-and-aft hatchbeam, on each side of this opening, had been left in. The beam ends lay in sockets or slots without being made fast. A hook from an empty sling coming up, dislodged one of these beams, which fell upon plaintiff’s intestate, a longshoreman working in the hold, under this hatch. The questions of defendants’ duty as to such beams were properly left to the jury.…