An island woman has sued The Steamship Authority and is pursuing $323,205.06 in damages for the injuries she sustained as a result of what she said was negligence from the ferry service during a March 10, 2019 boat ride.
The plaintiff, Jessica Hicks, alleges that the negligent piloting of the ferry caused the vessel to collide into a concrete barrier as it was approaching the Nantucket ferry dock. This collision, Hicks said, caused her to fall and be thrown to the deck below from a vessel stairway, which resulted in a serious injury.
The injuries included a tear and rupture of the right thumb’s ulnar MCP joint collateral ligament and stener lesion, which required surgery, an internal brace, a thumb spica cast, and a splint.
Hicks said the fall also led to back pain, scarring, persistent pain, and reduced function of her right thumb. She said the incident has led to emotional distress, was rendered disabled, and was prevented her from engaging in her job as a jeweler at her business, Jessica Hicks Jewelry, for an extended period of time.
She said the absence from work led to $30,000 in lost wages and over $33,000 in medical bills for the treatment needed to tend to her injuries.
In the civil action sheet filed in Nantucket Superior Court on Friday, Hicks is asking for $33,205.06 in medical expenses, $30,000 for documented lost wages, $10,000 for anticipated future medical and hospital expenses, and $250,000 for continuing pain, suffering, and permanent loss of function in her right hand/thumb.
