Deckhand injured in the engine room. Why was he working down there?

By definition, a deckhand works in the deck department. He is not supposed to be working on engine room equipment.

So why was deckhand Hai Van Nguyen doing repair work in the engine room of the F/V Captain Truong Phi on July 6? According to a lawsuit he filed on July 28 in New Orleans federal court, while Nguyen was repairing broken hydraulic equipment in the engine room, the captain began to steer the vessel, which resulted in a piece of equipment hitting Nguyen in the chest. This put him in intensive care for two weeks with serious injuries.

Nguyen seeks $2.1 million from Truong Phi Inc. and the vessel for negligence in operating the boat while he was near the hydraulic equipment.  The damages sought include personal injuries, medical expenses, lost wages and punitive damages.

A jury trial has been requested.

Source: Louisiana Record