A Mississippi man is suing two companies after he says he was injured in a forklift accident at the Port of Pascagoula.

Kervin Holifield, of Waynesboro, says he was injured in September 2022 when lumber fell on him.

Holifield says he was working as a commercial truck driver when he delivered lumber to the port, according to the lawsuit. As he was unstrapping the load, a forklift operator “suddenly and without warning” caused some of the lumber to topple and fall, injuring him.

The suit alleges negligence against the forklift operator and is filed against the two companies that employed him, Gulf Stream Marine, Inc. of Houston, Texas, and FlexForce Employment Professionals, Inc., of Homewood. It also alleges that the area where the accident happened was an unsafe working environment and the safety protocols were not followed.

Holifield says so far he has spent more than $67,000 on medical bills from the accident and has yet to fully recover. One of his injuries was a fracture of his right ankle, requiring surgery and “causing the plaintiff great pain and physical suffering and disability.”

Holifield is seeking an unspecified amount of actual and punitive damages.

He says his future earnings may be affected by the accident.

A lawsuit represents only one side of a legal argument. As of Monday, neither Gulf Stream Marine or FlexForce Employment Professionals had filed a response to the suit.

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