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Maritime News

The New Orleans Jones Act attorneys at The Young Firm represent injured maritime workers. We post summaries of news stories about maritime law and accidents that affect seamen in the Gulf Mexico and beyond. If you've been injured while working at sea, The Young Firm has the resources to help you. Call 866-938-6113 to learn more.

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Maritime Law

Gas leak on Louisiana supply vessel sends 36 to hospital
Jun 13, 2010
An accident onboard a supply vessel moored near Cocodrie, Louisiana resulted in a natural gas leak that sent 36 people to the hospital.

The incident occurred at about 9:25 a.m. on Friday, June 11. A supply vessel was mooring to a natural gas riser platform and pipeline when it accidentally broke open a gas line. A small amount of natural gas escaped from the leak before it was shut off.

Thirty-six of the 42 people aboard the vessel were taken to the hospital after being exposed to the natural gas. Complaints included scratchy throat, cough, and nausea. Two people experienced more serious symptoms such as disorientation, chest pain and shortness of breath. One victim was airlifted to the hospital for emergency care.

As a precaution, 800 offshore Deepwater Horizon oil spill response workers aboard 120 vessels were recalled to shore in order to clear the area. There are currently 3,600 vessels in the Gulf of Mexico working to clean-up the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
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BP threatened with lawsuit over rig safety
Jun 06, 2010
The environmental group, Food and Water Watch, has filed for an injunction in Houston federal district court calling for a halt on drilling at BP’s Atlantis platform. They are questioning the way BP operates its oil rigs around the world.

BP was the operator of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig which exploded on April 20th. Eleven rig workers were killed in the offshore oil rig accident and the environmental damage is still being assessed.

The group would like to see independent monitoring of all BP oil rigs and drilling platforms in the United States and in the North Sea.

The lawsuit is supported by the allegations of Ken Abbott, a former offshore worker subcontracted to BP. According to Abbot, 6,000 of the 7,000 documents that were supposed to be in place regarding the operation of the Atlantis platform were missing. He says his attempts to bring up his concerns were dismissed by the oil company.

Food and Water Watch would like to have production halted until these and other safety allegations are investigated.

Atlantis is a semi-submersible deepwater oil platform permanently located on the Green Canyon Atlantis Oil Field in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles south of New Orleans. It is the deepest moored semi-submersible platform in the world.
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Injured man rescued after Mississippi tugboat accident
Jun 02, 2010
A 49-year-old tugboat worker is hospitalized after the tugboat he was working on was caught in an undertow in the Mississippi River in north St. Louis.

The accident occurred at about 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Dan Eilerman and another employee of Alberici Construction were linking two barges together when their tugboat was caught in the undertow. The undertow was strong enough to suck the tugboat beneath the platform. Eilerman was sucked under with the tug. The other man was able to jump from the boat to the barge platform.

Eilerman resurfaced about 150 feet from where the boat went down. He was rescued by two men with Humbolt Boat Service.

Eilerman was conscious, but he was coughing up river water. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Working on the water is always dangerous. Unexpected weather or currents can put workers in danger of injury or even death, so there are federal maritime laws that protect offshore workers’ rights and provide a safety net in case of injury. It is important that offshore and river workers know their rights in case of injury. To learn more, call The Young Firm at 866-938-6113.
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Officials concerned about safety on BP’s Atlantis oil rig
May 22, 2010
A BP oil rig may be shut down over safety concerns.

Two months before the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, a group of 19 lawmakers signed a letter urging an investigation into the safety of the Atlantis oil and gas platform. Now a group of lawmakers is encouraging the Mineral and Management Service (MMS) to shut down the oil platform until a safety investigation can be completed.

The Atlantis is the second largest oil rig in the region. It is located 150 miles south of New Orleans and pumps up to 200,000 barrels a day of crude oil and up to 180 million cubic feet of natural gas. Officials believe that an accident on the Atlantis could be many times worse than the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The Deepwater Horizon incident cost 11 lives, left 17 injured, threatened wildlife and caused economic damage to hundreds of thousands of offshore workers all along the Gulf Coast.

BP claims the rig is operating safely; however, a former contractor claims the rig is being operated without complete or accurate engineering documents. The MMS is conducting an initial investigation.
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95 workers rescued as natural gas platform sinks off Venezuela
May 14, 2010
A natural gas platform has sunk off the coast of Venezuela.

Ninety-five gas platform workers were safely from the Aban Pearl platform before the semi-submersible drilling rig sank into the Caribbean Sea.

The platform is owned by an Indian company, Aban Offshore Ltd. The drilling rig had been listing, but the cause of the sinking is still unknown. The Aban Pearl had been under contract to a company owned by the Venezuelan government drilling wells in the Mariscal Sucre offshore natural gas project.

The Venezuelan Energy Minister said that the accident poses no environmental threat.

Oil and gas platform workers have dangerous jobs. The risks involved with offshore drilling have received national media
attention since the explosion of Deepwater Horizon last month. After the explosion, the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig sank off the shore of Louisiana. That accident injured 17 workers. Eleven workers are still missing and presumed dead. The sinking resulted in an on-going oil spill that continues to threaten fish and wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Transocean seeks to limit Deepwater Horizon liability
May 13, 2010
Transocean Ltd., the company that owns the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded and sank last month, has petitioned a federal court in Houston to limit its liability for the disaster to under $27 million under the Limitations of Liability Act. Seventeen workers were injured in the April 21st oil rig explosion. Eleven others were killed.

This action could have several consequences for families of Deepwater Horizon victims who are seeking Jones Act damages for the loss or injury of their loved ones.

In addition to limiting Transocean’s liability to the current value of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, today’s request would place a stay on all litigation filed against Transocean in any jurisdiction other than the Southern District of Texas. If approved, the company could consolidate all the lawsuits filed against Transocean to be tried by a single federal judge in Houston.

If granted, the petition will also shorten the amount of time that a family has to make a claim to as little as six months. Under federal maritime law, families have three years to file a Jones Act lawsuit. Today’s action could force families to file their claims while they are still dealing with the emotional aftermath of the explosion. Although the time to file will be shortened, there may be delays for lawsuits as Transocean’s role in the explosion is investigated.

If you have any questions about how today’s action affects you and your family, contact the maritime attorneys at The Young Firm. Call us at 866-938-6113.
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37 passengers injured when ferry slams into New York dock
May 09, 2010
A Staten Island ferry slammed into a dock injuring 37 people after mechanical issues prevented it from coming to a stop.

The accident occurred right before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 8. The 300-foot-long Andrew J. Barberi was approaching the St. George Dock when the ferry captain, Donald Russel, tried to slow the ferry down for the approach. As he tried to activate the reverse thrust in order to slow the boat down, the ferry did not respond.

The captain sounded an alarm which prompted the boat’s 18-person crew to lead passengers from the front.

The 3,260-ton boat was traveling at 5 knots when it smashed into the dock. The impact tore open two four-foot by four-foot holes in the hull. The holes were 17 feet above the water line, so the ferry did not take on water. There was also some damage to the terminal and slip.

Thirty-seven passengers were injured by the impact. Thirty-five were taken to area hospitals and two were treated at the terminal. Investigators believe that the quick actions of the crew prevented more serious injury.

In 2003, the same ferry ran into a pier while carrying 252 commuters. Eleven were killed.

Passengers who are killed or injured while aboard ship may have rights under maritime law.

The ferry accident is under investigation. Although mechanical failure seems to be to blame, the Andrew J. Barberi passed Coast Guard inspections in July 2009 and in April 2010 as well as its annual Bureau of Shipping survey in October.
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Barge Rig capsizes near Morgan City, Louisiana
May 01, 2010
An inland shallow-water drilling well capsized in the Charenton navigation channel near Morgan City, Louisiana as it was being towed to a salvage yard.

The Coast Guard reports that there were no injuries and navigation in the channel was not affected by the incident.

The 210-foot-long barge rig worked swampland and shallow water oil and gas prospects. It had a 20,000-gallon diesel tank, but carried only 200 gallons of fuel when it capsized.

This incident is minor compared to the April 20 explosion of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico 40 miles from the coast of Louisiana. That accident claimed 11 lives and injured seventeen workers. However, both incidents bring attention to the on-the-job dangers that oil rig workers face every day.

If you or a loved one has been injured while working offshore, you will want to act fast to protect your rights. Contact the New Orleans maritime attorneys at The Young Firm and request your FREE copy of 6 Secrets Your Company May Not Tell You When You Get Injured Offshore.
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Interview with rescue captain to DEEPWATER HORIZON accident and photos
Apr 25, 2010
The Young Firm conducted an interview with a rescue captain and his mate to the DEEPWATER HORIZON accident. These men were some of the first on scene and they provided their thoughts and comments as well as photos taken of the event. They helped rig workers to safety and rushed to the rig immediately after the event. Read more here. - 19 - 20
Eleven workers still missing after Deepwater Horizon explosion
Apr 24, 2010
Eleven workers are still missing and presumed dead after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig last Tuesday. The explosion occurred about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. One hundred and fifteen crew members made it off the platform. Several were injured, but only two remain hospitalized.

The company is currently trying to clean up the environmental hazard caused by the explosion.

The accident is under investigation and the cause is still unknown. In the past, equipment failure has been the primary cause of oil rig accidents.

If you or a loved one was aboard The Deepwater Horizon and you have questions, click here to learn more.
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