A section of the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, Louisiana had to be closed down after a barge accident last week. According to the US Coast Guard, the accident involved a vessel that was pushing 20 barges just under the US 190 bridge. One of the barges which was carrying grain, crashed into a moored barge. The impact caused three of the barges to sink. A fourth barge broke free.
The bridge had to be closed down for a few hours, but was reopened soon. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported. There was also no environmental impact reported in this maritime accident.
This isn’t the first time that an incident like this has been reported on the Mississippi River. On 14 May, a similar barge accident led to the Coast Guard closing down the river. In that incident, four barges broke away from their moorings, and struck the very same bridge.
It is fortunate that there were no injuries reported in this accident. As maritime attorneys, we know that a collision like this can be severe enough to cause injuries to workers. Workers on a tugboat or barge may also be eligible for compensation after a maritime accident. Contrary to popular belief, the Jones Act does not apply only to vessels on the high seas. Even a barge on an inland waterway can meet the criteria of Jones Act vessel, and a worker on such a vessel, may be eligible to file a lawsuit based on negligence of the employer under the Jones Act.
