Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
No. 16-1267
Plaintiff, Appellee,
v.
JAMIE ROGERS,
Defendant, Appellant.
Before
Admiralty law entitles seamen who become injured during the course
ground that its maintenance and cure duties terminated on July 31,
the date on which Block Island's obligations ended. That was the
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amount of their actual living expenses, but it reserved for a jury
to determine the exact sum that Block Island owed Rogers, along
expenses. It further ruled that Block Island could offset the sum
and cure obligations ended, the district court erred by sua sponte
replacing Block Island's proposed date (July 31) with its own
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Circuit in Boudreaux v. Transocean Deepwater, Inc., 721 F.3d 723
(5th Cir. 2013), and hold that Block Island may offset any
I.
novo, we, like the district court, are obliged to review the record
v. Great Am. Ins. Co., 6 F.3d 836, 841 (1st Cir. 1993). Although
there are numerous dates at issue, the core of the dispute involves
cure owed. Block Island takes the position that it overpaid Rogers
Rogers joined the crew of the F/V HEDY BRENNA, a commercial fishing
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vessel owned and operated by Block Island. For a fishing trip in
Rogers fell off the top bunk while sleeping and injured himself.
Three days later, upon returning from the voyage, Rogers was
$4,260.15.
him a "fit for duty" slip and cleared him to return to work as a
was diagnosed with pneumonia and was hospitalized for three weeks.
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learned about Rogers' condition and hospitalization on December
19, 2013.
condition was improving and that Rogers could "increase his level
without restrictions."
he lived with his brother. Rogers paid his brother $800 per month
boat for $2,500 and lived on that boat before returning to Fall
River in June.
Melanie Cardoza, examined Rogers for pain in his lower back and
left leg. During this examination, Rogers told the doctor that he
had returned from a fishing trip the previous day and that he was
muscles."
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By July 2014, Rogers was working on, and was physically
fit to captain, another fishing vessel, the KELLY ANN. But Dr.
commercial fisherman.
and found that "his condition had improved to the point that no
follow-up care to his primary care physician, Dr. Cardoza, who was
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$72 per day in maintenance and cure. Alberto cited the following
$61.28 for electricity, and $362.50 for food, based on the U.S.
March 27, 2014. (Rogers had vacated the Bristol home in November
2013.) This lease indicated that the monthly $1,600 rent included
Rogers' behalf if Block Island did not begin making the requested
April 23, 2014, "the date of his last treatment record received."
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The $63.26 rate was calculated based on Rogers' $1,600 monthly
rent for his Bristol home and $279.80 per month in food. As the
did not account for electricity and gas bills in calculating the
$72 per day, Block Island sent Rogers a second check for
II.
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maintenance and cure (Count III), negligent or intentional failure
to provide maintenance and cure (Count IV), and lost wages (Count
V).
for its overpayment, the district court agreed with Block Island's
were lower than what Block Island believed them to be: "The
Block Island relied on the $1,600 monthly rent figure and that an
maintenance and cure payments that it had already made. See 721
F.3d at 72628. But the court did allow Block Island to offset
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The district court then denied Block Island's summary
31, 2014 but sua sponte supplied its own date of November 18, 2014
court noted that "[o]n this issue, the relevant question before
July 2014, that fact was not dispositive of whether Rogers had
argued.
the date on which Dr. Campos had found that Rogers' health had so
on which Rogers had reached maximum medical recovery and thus was
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no longer entitled to maintenance and cure. The court observed
attorney's fees.
2005); P.R. Ports Auth. v. Barge Katy-B, 427 F.3d 93, 10001 (1st
III.
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Rogers of due notice or opportunity to contest that ground. We
agree.
the moving party, but may do so only "[a]fter giving notice and a
court must meet before entering summary judgment sua sponte: First,
Berkovitz v. Home Box Office, Inc., 89 F.3d 24, 29 (1st Cir. 1996)
(citations omitted). Rogers does not claim that he did not have
target is entitled to know both the grounds that the district court
will consider and the point at which her obligation to bring forth
Menino, 175 F.3d 75, 79 (1st Cir. 1999) (citing Berkovitz, 89 F.3d
at 31).
and only on the ground that its maintenance and cure obligations
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terminated on July 31, 2014 because Rogers had resumed his job as
(1962).
While the district court rejected the July 31, 2014 date
full recovery." Whitman v. Miles, 387 F.3d 68, 72 (1st Cir. 2004)
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summary judgment law, we hold that the district court nonetheless
July 31, 2014 date and return-to-work theory, it argues that the
based on the November 18 date because Rogers had been "fully aware"
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that maximum medical recovery would be a central issue throughout
this case. Block Island contends that Rogers had "a reasonable
The district court has a duty to notify the nonmoving party of the
175 F.3d at 79. That Rogers knew he would need to dispute that he
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We understand differently the district court's statements on the
rather could only offset it against any damages that Rogers might
win at trial.
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the Bristol home to a series of less expensive residences. The
court reserved this issue for the jury, noting that "as with most
assigning the decision to the jury, the court left open the
possibility that the jury might find that Block Island did
entitled.
or liability for his care and support at the home of his parents");
Hall v. Noble Drilling (U.S.) Inc., 242 F.3d 582, 587 (5th Cir.
Barnes v. Andover Co., L.P., 900 F.2d 630, 641 (3d Cir. 1990)
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family without incurring any expense or liability for his care, no
Tug Jane A. Bouchard, 885 F. Supp. 452, 46367 & n.13 (E.D.N.Y.
783 F.3d 939 (2d Cir. 2015); cf. Vaughan v. Atkinson, 369 U.S.
527, 53031, 533 (1962) (holding that injured seaman was entitled
maintenance and cure for two years). Rogers argues that this case
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C. Method of Recovery for Any Overpayment
Transocean Deepwater, Inc., 721 F.3d 723 (5th Cir. 2013). There,
for benefits already paid." Id. at 725. The court answered this
animating it.
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We thereby adopt the Fifth Circuit's approach in
IV.
may offset any overpayment that occurred against any damages that
district court did not provide Rogers with sufficient notice and
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