Officials in Louisiana have confirmed that most of the oil that was spilt into the Mississippi River after a collision involving a towboat and a moored barge over the weekend, has been contained. The maritime accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, near Port Allen on the Mississippi River.
No injuries were reported, but more than 2,000 gallons of vacuum gas oil leaked into the river. According to the Coast Guard, approximately 385 gallons of the oil have already been removed, and most of the oil is now contained. No visible traces of the products were seen by Monday morning. Most of the vacuum gas oil remained on the barge, even after the accident. The Coast Guard, as well as the response company Oil Mop, continued to look for signs of oil down river. But they now believe that strong river currents possibly dispersed the oil that had not been contained.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this maritime accident. However, barge and towboat employees may be at risk of injuries during a collision like this. Very often, barge accidents occur when the barge accidentally becomes free from the tugboat. The barge then veers into other vessels nearby, causing collisions. The impact of a collision like this can be serious enough to cause injuries and even death.
Depending on the nature of their relationship with the vessel and the kind of barge they were working on, injured barge workers may also fall under the purview of the Jones Act. If you have questions about your status as a Jones Act seaman, contact a maritime lawyer at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. for a free review of your case today at info@smslegal.com.
