Who Do I Call If I Was Hurt in a Towboat Accident?
You have been hurt on the job, maybe even nearly died or suffered an injury that you will struggle with for the rest of your life. On top of that, your injury is preventing you from going back to work, and your medical bills and living expenses are piling up. Meanwhile, your employer and their insurance company are telling you that they will take care of you, but what they are not telling you is that it will be on their terms and to their benefit. You need to have someone on your side fighting for the best interests of you and your family.
As the video above explains, if you are hurt in a towboat wreck or any other type of accident on the water, the first thing you need to do is get yourself checked out by a doctor. As soon as you have been checked out medically, the next thing for you to do is find a qualified and experienced maritime trial lawyer who will talk with you for free. On behalf of families and injured crew members, Latti & Anderson LLP has brought claims against some of the largest towing companies from McAllister, Moran to SeaRiver. Even if you do not plan to pursue a legal claim or hire an attorney, it will benefit you to discuss your situation with someone who knows what you can expect to face and can advise you on what is best for you and your family.
Towboat Allegedly Had No Licensed Captain Aboard When It Hit a Louisiana Bridge
A report in the March 2014 Professional Mariner revealed that a towboat transporting a crane that struck a bridge might not have had a licensed captain onboard. The accident happened on October 25 at night in the Harvey Canal on the Mississippi River’s West Bank, which is located across from New Orleans. The towboat was traveling west, pushing multiple barges, when a crane on one of the barges struck the Lapalco Bridge, according to the report.
“The top portion of a crane on a barge struck the catwalk area that is suspended below the bridge girders,” said Donald Hogan, assistant director of the streets department in Jefferson Parish.
As of January, the damage to the catwalk had still not been repaired. Following the accident, The Times-Picayune reported that the towboat was being operated by a deck hand and had no licensed captain aboard at the time of the wreck.
The incident was still under investigation by the Coast Guard at the time of this report.
Latti & Anderson LLP – Nationwide Maritime Attorneys