Nobody was injured but many eyes may have been opened after there were two ship collisions in less than a week. According to KTUU-TV, two of the three tugboats that were supposed to tow the damaged Shell drilling rig Kulluk collided on February 15. US Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley told KTUU that the CORBIN FOSS struck the OCEAN WAVE while the two vessels were “maneuvering in close proximity.” The CORBIN FOSS and the OCEAN WAVE went to Kodiak for a Coast Guard inspection, and drug tests were performed on crewmembers in accordance with standard Coast Guard policy for marine incidents.

On February 20, two inbound chemical tankers collided approximately 70 miles south of Galveston, Texas. KTRK-TV reported that the 385-foot CHEM SEA and the 557-foot BOW KISO collided while headed to Houston. The collision caused a fuel leak in the engine room of the BOW KISO, but the Coast Guard said crewmembers patched the leak and pumped the remaining fuel into an auxiliary tank.

While it is fortunate that no crewmembers were injured in either of these collisions, both incidents still demonstrate how many vessels operate in close vicinity of one another. Operator error or poorly maintained ships can lead to maritime accidents, many of which can cause catastrophic injuries to crewmembers. These cases have devastating consequences for the families of those seamen.

Latti & Anderson represents individuals injured at sea and the families of maritime workers who were killed on the job. The employee who was hurt or the family of the deceased may be entitled to damages under the Jones Act if an employer’s negligence caused the worker’s injury. You can find more information about tug and barge accidents on our website, and you can enter your information in the form on this page to let our Jones Act attorneys review your case or you can contact our firm today at (800) 392-6072 to set up a free consultation.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Jones Act lawyers

Latti & Anderson’s Little Extra: According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), collisions account for the third largest percentage (14 percent) of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) accidents. Only weather conditions (17 percent) and structural damage (16 percent) caused more chemical spills, although groundings are also responsible for 14 percent of these accidents.