Palmer v. Waterman Steamship Corp‪.‬

The plaintiff was a seaman on defendants ship. He was observed on the deck of the vessel in an intoxicated condition about three oclock a. m., on August 22, 1955, by two crew members. They proceeded to help him toward his quarters by each taking an arm and walking him along the deck. When they reached the after deckhouse, one man preceded and one man followed plaintiff along a passageway to the top of the ladder leading down to the crews quarters. One man left him, at this point, and the other left after plaintiff had taken a couple of steps down the ladder. A few seconds later, the plaintiff fell down the ladder and was severely injured.