A seaman with the Steamship Authority is suing the ferry line after he was injured on the job in 2020.

Keith Maxwell filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Steamship Authority on June 9, saying he fractured his right fibula due to the unseaworthiness of the M/V Nantucket.

In August 2020, Mr. Maxwell was working aboard the ferry on the Vineyard route when a hinged deck plate collapsed under his weight, causing him to fall into an opening above the engine shaft, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Boston.

Mr. Maxwell claims the plate was negligently “designed, modified and or maintained” by the Steamship Authority, resulting in the leg fracture.

The Steamship Authority first started using the M/V Nantucket in 1974. It typically serves on both the Vineyard and Nantucket routes.

Mr. Maxwell is asking for a trial on the matter and for the authority to cover his medical costs and lost wages. His attorney declined to comment on the suit Tuesday.

Steamship Authority spokesperson Sean Driscoll also declined to comment on the case, citing the pending litigation.