Crew Members from Port Fourchon Barge Accident Deserve Compensation

On October 28, a barge broke loose in Port Fourchon, Louisiana as Hurricane Zeta hit the area. The barge, named Thor, was carrying 18 crewmembers when its moorings failed and detached from an assisting tugboat. The rest of the crew, including the barge’s medic, had been evacuated prior to Zeta’s arrival. It slammed into several other vessels and objects as it drifted into the Gulf of Mexico. Eventually, Thor’s anchor took hold and held the barge in place about six miles from shore.

Video taken from a nearby offshore service vessel (OSV) is harrowing. Crew members of the OSV can be heard warning each other to brace for impact as Thor was tossed by rough waters, slowly drifting towards them. That ship was able to narrowly avoid a collision with the barge.

Arnold & Itkin Is Representing Three Crew Members from Thor

The maritime lawyers from Arnold & Itkin are currently representing three crew members from Thor who sustained injuries during the barge’s violent encounter with Hurricane Zeta. We’re demanding accountability from the owners of the barge for ordering it to be tied off in an unsafe area to wait out the hurricane.

Our clients, two of them galley stewards, had their lives placed at risk throughout the terrifying ordeal. While they survived the incident, they sustained serious injuries. Worst of all, they were unable to receive proper medical treatment until they were rescued from the barge 14 hours later.

“There is no excuse for failing to evacuate the crew to shore. The companies involved had already evacuated their key personnel, and they intentionally left the remaining crew in a dangerous situation aboard the boat facing an incoming hurricane," Attorney Kurt Arnold told The Maritime Executive.

At Arnold & Itkin, we never back down from a fight. When maritime workers need help holding companies accountable, we’re always ready to fight for them no matter the challenge. We’ll seek the compensation that these men need to recover from the physical and financial repercussions of their employer’s recklessness.