All Sorts of Vessels, Injuries on ‘Old Man River’

The Mississippi River is the largest drainage system in the United States, as the more than 2,500-mile long river extends from northern Minnesota southward to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. It is the fourth-longest and 10^th-largest fiver in the world, bordering or cutting through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. The New York Times reported that 500 million tons of cargo like coal, grain and fertilizer that move up and down the river each year. Both recreational and commercial vessels can be found on the Mississippi, meaning that there are several types of maritime accidents that occur on the river every year.

On June 11, the Associated Press reported that 33-year-old Steven “Brad” Malcolm died after the 24-foot boat he was operating collided with an oilfield crewboat near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Flatboat Pass, Louisiana. The crewboat operator and his passenger were unhurt, but a father and son who were passengers on Malcolm’s vessel had to be taken to University Hospital in New Orleans. According to the AP, 60-year-old Dennis Prince sustained severe head injuries and 34-year-old Corey Prince’s elbow was cut.

On the northern end of the river, WCCO-TV reported that almost a dozen people spent this past Memorial Day recovering after their houseboat capsized in the Mississippi River. The vessel apparently went over a roller gate near Dresbach, Wisconsin. “It’s a good thing. It could have been real nasty,” La Crescent Fire Chief John Meyer told WCCO. “The water is cold right now and it could have been a real disaster, so when we heard that everyone was accounted for that was a blessing.”

As a KWQC story put it when discussing how John Guyer survived his own accident on the river in 1996 when his jon boat flipped over after he attempted to avoid a collision with a tow pushing some barges, “the Mississippi River can be a source of both enjoyment and treachery.”

Latti & Anderson LLP has been representing individuals who sustained injuries in both commercial and recreational boating accidents across the nation for more than 50 years. If you sustained catastrophic injuries or your loved one was killed in an accident on the water, use the form on this page to have our maritime trial lawyers review your case or contact our firm at (800) 392-6072 to set up a free consultation.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Boston maritime attorneys