A recent court filing reveals a gripping case of alleged negligence leading to severe personal injuries. On August 16, 2024, Ruben Gonzalez filed a complaint in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of Ventura, against the Port of Hueneme and Oxnard Harbor District.
The lawsuit, represented by Patrick Muldoon from the Law Offices of Patrick Muldoon, accuses the defendants of creating and maintaining dangerous conditions at their maritime container cargo terminal. Gonzalez claims that on July 11, 2023, while working as a Longshore Fork Lift Driver for Ceres Marine Terminals at Berth 2 Dock 1 in Port Hueneme, he encountered hazardous conditions that led to his accident. The plaintiff alleges that oversized cargo vans parked in fire lanes obstructed his view, causing him to collide with another vehicle driven by co-worker Gary Cabral Jr., resulting in significant injuries.
According to the complaint, Gonzalez asserts that the defendants failed to maintain safe premises by allowing dangerous obstructions and not providing adequate warnings or lighting. "Defendants knew or should have known that such conditions existed," states the complaint. Despite submitting a claim for damages on January 3, 2024, which was subsequently denied on February 21, 2024, Gonzalez maintains that the defendants' negligence directly caused his injuries.
Gonzalez is seeking general damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses both past and future, loss of earnings capacity due to permanent disabilities sustained from the accident, and other related costs. The plaintiff also requests pre-judgment interest and any further relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case is being handled by attorneys Patrick Muldoon for the plaintiff and Kyler Rayden from Best Best & Krieger LLP representing the defendants. The case ID is 2024CUPA028590.