Ship Captain Loses Appeal Over Exclusion of Causation Witness

NEW ORLEANS - The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a district court decision to award summary judgment to an employer and exclude a ship captain's only causation witness in his suit alleging bladder cancer from exposure to drilling mud and other hazards. Seaman v. Seacor Marine LLC, No. 08-30911 (5th Cir.).

The federal appellate panel issued a per curiam opinion on April 30, affirming summary judgment for Seacor Marine L.L.C. and against plaintiff-appellant Larry Seaman.

Seaman alleged that his bladder cancer was caused by shipboard exposure to drilling mud, caustic soda, barium sulfate, Barite, ammonia, muriatic acid and …