Lazzari v. States Marine Corp.

On June 14, 1955, the defendant corporation’s merchant vessel, S. S. Cotton State, was at the dock in the port of Patras, Greece. The plaintiff was employed by defendant as boatswain on the vessel. He had direct supervision of a crew of eleven ordinary and able-bodied seamen. At about 10:30 a.m. of that day plaintiff, with his crew, was engaged in preparing the deep tanks in the No. 4 hold to take on water ballast. At that approximate time the plaintiff received an order from the chief mate, his immediate superior, to “come up and leave four men down there to finish putting on the gaskets on…