NEW ORLEANS — An oil reprocessing facility and insurance firms are suing a Louisiana marine transportation company, alleging its vessel damaged the plaintiffs' property.
Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC and its subrogated insurers, Lexington Insurance Company, Landmark American Insurance Company and Altera Excess & Surplus Insurance Company, as a subrogee of Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC, filed a lawsuit May 20 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Gulf South Marine Transportation Inc., alleging negligence in that the vessel owner failed to exercise reasonable care to operate the ship in a safe and seaworthy condition.
According to the complaint, on May 26, 2015, a vessel owned by the defendant struck the dock facilities, transfer gear and other property owned and/or insured by plaintiffs. The suit says this collision resulted in property damage, losses and certain business interruption of $486,982, other property damage and business losses associated with the collision of $364,982 and uninsured losses consisting of its policy deductibles of $121,737.
The plaintiffs allege the defendant failed to to keep well-trained and competent crew aboard the vessel and to failed to exercise reasonable care to prevent damage to HCC’s dock and property.
The plaintiffs seek trial by jury, judgment in an amount to be demonstrated at trial, attorney fees, interest and costs and other relief to which the defendants are justly entitled. They are represented by attorney Carin D. Brock of Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP in Mobile, Alabama.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-06753