Florida Estate Files Jones Act Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Seabulk Tankers After Crew Member Suffers Fatal Stroke

Gerson R. Sabio Velasquez, acting as the personal representative of the Estate of Roberto Andres Sabio Ruiz, has filed a maritime wrongful death lawsuit against Seabulk Tankers, Inc., Seabulk Crew Management, LLC, Eco-Tankers Crew Management, LLC, Seacor Holdings, LLC, Fairwater Tanker Management, LLC, Fairwater Holdings, LLC, and American Industrial Partners Corporation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, proceeding under Case No. 0:25-cv-60834-LEIBOWITZ, alleges that the maritime entities are liable under the Jones Act and general maritime law for the untimely death of Sabio Ruiz following a catastrophic stroke aggravated by his service aboard the vessel Seabulk Challenge.

Shipowner Accused of Ignoring Crew Member Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension During Mandatory Medical Exams

According to the operative third amended complaint, the decedent was employed by the defendants for at least ten years as a merchant seaman. Between December 2021 and March 2024, Sabio Ruiz underwent multiple mandatory physical examinations and medical clearance evaluations conducted by healthcare personnel selected by his employers. During these routine medical interactions, as well as on formal Seabulk Seaman Statements of Physical Condition completed in May 2022 and March 2024, Sabio Ruiz explicitly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and hypertension. He provided the names of his prescribed medications and identified his personal treating physician to the corporate medical staff. Furthermore, he authorized the defendants and their designated medical management consultants, including Future Care, MedSea, and SOS International, to obtain any additional medical records necessary to properly evaluate his fitness for duty. Despite possessing direct knowledge of his serious medical conditions, the maritime employers relied on the medical clearance determinations of their personnel and continuously certified Sabio Ruiz as fully fit for strenuous duty aboard their fleet.

Seabulk Tankers Allegedly Breached Maritime Duty to Treat and Provide Safe Work Environment for Deteriorating Seaman

The complaint alleges that while working aboard the defendants’ vessels between 2021 and 2024, the physical condition of Sabio Ruiz severely deteriorated due to the unmitigated progression of his chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure. The plaintiff asserts that the defendants were fully aware of this physical decline yet failed to reassign the crew member to lighter shipboard tasks or alternative employment better suited for his diminished physical capacities. On March 13, 2024, Sabio Ruiz signed onto the Seabulk Challenge. He performed his shipboard duties until July 2, 2024, when he disembarked for a scheduled sixty-day vacation. Because he had a company-mandated return date of August 31, 2024, he remained an active crew member subject to the call of the vessel while shoreside. Just six days after leaving the ship, on July 8, 2024, Sabio Ruiz suffered a massive stroke brought on by the severe aggravation of his chronic kidney disease and hypertension, which the lawsuit attributes directly to his arduous work aboard the Seabulk Challenge and a systemic lack of appropriate medical intervention.

Corporate Shipowners Deny Maintenance and Cure Benefits Despite Repeated Demands and Proof of Severe Suffering

The lawsuit further details a persistent failure by the maritime employers to provide required maritime benefits, giving rise to an independent tort claim under the Jones Act. Legal counsel for the seaman first demanded maintenance and cure from the defendants on November 9, 2023, well before the fatal stroke occurred, but the companies did not comply. Following the stroke, a second formal demand was issued on July 17, 2024, which included comprehensive medical records demonstrating that the shipboard employment had actively aggravated his underlying illnesses. As Sabio Ruiz remained completely incapacitated, his legal team sent additional notices throughout March 2025. The defendants continually declined to provide the necessary funding for medical care. On March 24, 2025, the medical condition of Sabio Ruiz deteriorated to the point of intubation and ventilator dependency. To demonstrate the urgency of the situation, the plaintiff provided the defendants with video evidence documenting the severe and catastrophic pre-death pain and suffering experienced by the seaman. On June 30, 2025, counsel notified the defendants that the private health insurance funds of the family had been completely exhausted, meaning the ventilator-dependent patient faced immediate discharge from rehabilitation facilities with nowhere to go. Sabio Ruiz subsequently passed away on July 26, 2025, as a direct result of his medical complications.

Federal Judge Denies Defense Motion to Dismiss Wrongful Death Complaint and Allows Jones Act Claims to Move Forward

The defendants collectively filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the complaint failed to state a plausible claim, constituted an impermissible shotgun pleading, and was foreclosed by legal precedents barring claims for ordinary work-related stress. United States District Judge David S. Leibowitz denied the motion to dismiss in its entirety, ruling that the estate had pleaded sufficient factual matter to proceed to the discovery phase of litigation. The court emphasized that general maritime law imposes an ancient and pervasive obligation on shipowners to provide maintenance and cure to any seaman whose illness occurs or becomes aggravated while in the service of a vessel, regardless of whether the illness predated the employment. Judge Leibowitz noted that the close temporal proximity between the sign-off date of the seaman and his subsequent stroke, combined with medical records linking his condition to his employment, created a reasonable inference of liability. Furthermore, the court rejected the defense argument that the claim was barred under previous rulings concerning everyday job stress or overwork, clarifying that the lawsuit is fundamentally grounded in the distinct failure of the employer to provide proper medical screening, failure to monitor a known deteriorating condition, and the negligent refusal to furnish mandatory maintenance and cure benefits. The ruling also sustained the claims of the plaintiff for punitive damages based on the allegedly willful withholding of medical benefits.

Contact a Maritime Wrongful Death and Jones Act Lawyer Today to Protect Your Rights After a Shipboard Medical Emergency

Merchant mariners and crew members who suffer severe medical emergencies, strokes, or cardiac events due to unsafe working conditions or inadequate medical monitoring are protected by specific federal protections under the Jones Act and general maritime law. Vessel owners and maritime employers maintain a strict legal duty to provide a safe working environment, perform proper medical clearances, and fully fund maintenance and cure benefits whenever an illness is aggravated in the service of a ship. If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic injury or wrongful death while working at sea due to corporate negligence or denied medical care, contact our team of experienced maritime injury attorneys today. We are dedicated to helping maritime families navigate complex federal court proceedings and secure the accountability they deserve.

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Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.