AI Files Jones Act Claim for Seaman Left Adrift in Hurricane Ida

On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall at Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The storm, later determined to be one of the largest in U.S. history, tore through the South with 150 mph winds and several inches of downpour. Thankfully, the National Hurricane Center had a forecast and an accurate understanding of the hurricane’s path days in advance. Residents and businesses alike had plenty of time to prepare, evacuate, and avoid harm.

Whether they did so is another story entirely.

One vessel, the Triton Hedron, was docked at Port Fourchon days before Hurricane Ida arrived. The vessel was owned by Triton Diving Services, who was contracted with Pharma-Safe Industrial Services by Talos Energy for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the crew members, an employee of Pharm-Safe, was acting as the vessel’s safety man when they heard that Hurricane Ida was days away. However, instead of evacuating, the captain of the Triton Hedron (acting under Triton’s orders) requested that the crew remain on board.

The captain and all the companies involved received multiple advisory warnings that a life-threatening storm was coming, up to the morning that Hurricane Ida was forecasted to arrive. They did nothing. The crew, including the safety man, were ordered to remain on the ship.

Within hours, the vessel was ripped away from the port and blown six miles out to sea. Without power, the vessel was rocked and battered by enormous swells and violent gusts. Inside the ship, crew members were thrown about for three hours. The ship nearly capsized. Eventually, the crew was able to regain control of the vessel and took it back to shore, but not without paying a steep cost.

Permanent & Lifelong Harm Caused by Triton, Pharma-Safe & Talos Energy

Our Jones Act attorneys have filed a lawsuit for the vessel’s safety man, who was employed by Pharma-Safe and hired by Triton. His experience during the hurricane was nothing short of catastrophic. After three hours at the mercy of one of the largest storms in U.S. history, our client suffered severe mental and physical injuries, including serious damage to his head, neck, back, and legs. The traumatic experience has left him physically and mentally incapable of offshore work ever again, which in turn has disrupted the rest of his life.

The suit has been filed against Talos Energy, Pharma-Safe, and Triton, who all bear responsibility for the harm our client has endured. All of them were responsible for keeping the crew safe and the vessel in seaworthy condition. They all failed on both counts. We look forward to helping our client hold them accountable for the deep losses he’s suffered as a result of their negligence.

The suit was filed in Harris County, Texas.