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Caulfield v. AC & D Marine

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
633 F.2d 1129 (1981)

Written by Daniel Clark, JD

Facts

Wayne Caulfield (plaintiff), an employee of AC & D Marine, Inc. (AC&D) (defendant), fell over an anchor while working and suffered injuries. AC&D allowed injured employees to seek treatment from private physicians. AC&D referred Caulfield to a private physician for treatment, but Caulfield sought and received treatment from a different private physician. Caulfield sued AC&D for the cost of his medical expenses on the theory that an injured seaman was entitled to recover the costs of his cure from a shipowner on whose vessel he was injured. AC&D presented no evidence that the cost of Caulfield’s treatment exceeded what it would have been had Caulfield engaged the physician to which AC&D referred him. The district court awarded Caulfield reimbursement for his medical expenses, and AC&D appealed.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Randall, J.)

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