Maritime Firm Involved in Mississippi River Accident Used Unlicensed Workers
Investigations into a massive 2008 oil spill on the Mississippi River reveal negative details about the practices at the shipping firm that owned the tugboat. The company apparently habitually used maritime workers who lacked proper licensing.
Former port captain, Jim Sellers, testified at a Coast Guard hearing in New Orleans. He explained that the company, DRD Towing, often substituted unlicensed personnel in place of qualified employees. 
When the tugboat, Mel Oliver, pushed an oil barge into the path of an oncoming ship last July, apprentice mate John Bavaret was at the helm. Bavaret did not have the licensing needed to operate the tugboat, he was "filling in" for Terry Carver, the captain of the ship. Carver, according his own testimony, jumped ship a few days before the tugboat accident to pursue his girlfriend in Illinois. He asked Bavaret to take his place at the helm of the tugboat. Bavaret's inexperience and lack of qualifications for the job resulted in an accident that ended with more than 280,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the Mississippi River. According to Jim Sellers' testimony, hiring inadequately licensed crew members was a regular practice at DRD Towing. The company, which closed down in August, had previously substituted an unlicensed deckhand for an apprentice mate. According to Sellers, he tried, on many occasions, to caution his employers at DRD Towing that the practice of staffing the vessel crew with insufficiently licensed personnel could end up causing problems for the company.
Sellers' testimony is part of investigations into the accident after which the Coast Guard will recommend appropriate penalties for those responsible for the accident. The Mel Oliver - Tintamora accident resulted in no injuries or deaths. The injury-free accident can be attributed to luck rather than any foresight or efficiency on Bavaret's part. The kind of indiscriminate hiring practices going on at DRD Towing were a maritime disaster waiting to happen.
Maritime Injuries
Very often, injuries on board a vessel are the result of the negligence or recklessness of employers, who create unsafe conditions for their workers in an effort to cut costs. For instance, DRD Towing's practice of hiring unqualified workers was an attempt to cut down on overheads by hiring cheaper labor. In cases like this, maritime injury victims can claim compensation for their injuries under the Jones Act with the help of a Louisiana maritime accident lawyer.
If you've been injured in a maritime accident, contact a maritime injury attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your case.
