Rideaux v. Lykes Bros. Steamship Company
The libelant, Mrs. Louise Rideaux, sued Lykes Bros. Steamship Company for the wrongful death of her husband, a longshoreman killed by falling steel beams due to allegedly unseaworthy slings. Lykes admitted liability to Mrs. Rideaux. Subsequently, Lykes impleaded Paulsen-Webber Cordage Corp., the supplier of the wire rope used for the slings, seeking indemnity, alleging negligence and breach of contractual duties. Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company intervened for subrogation for worker's compensation payments. The court denied the claim for conscious pain and suffering but awarded Mrs. Rideaux $54,350.00 in damages from Lykes. The court also denied Lykes's claim for indemnity against Paulsen-Webber, finding no defect in Paulsen-Webber's wire rope and concluding that Lykes's improper fabrication of the slings was the cause of the accident.