BATON ROUGE – A Port Allen, Louisana company says its vessel, the Elissa, was partially sunk while towing six barges on the Mississippi River, allegedly due to Impala Terminals’ negligence.
Deloach Marine Services LLC and its insurer, Atlantic Specialty Insurance Co., filed a lawsuit Dec. 23 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Impala Terminals Burnside LLC, alleging liability for property damage.
According to the complaint, the Elissa was towing the barges at mile marker 170 on Sept. 9 when it struck an unmarked, hidden and submerged object, partially sinking the vessel. The suit claims Impala Terminals owned the submerged object and failed to ensure waterway safety by marking it to warn other vessels.
The plaintiffs seek damages of $970,000, including $810,000 in repairs and $160,000 of lost revenue while the boat is out of commission, as well as legal costs. They are represented by attorneys Alfred J. Rufty III, Rugus C. Harris III, Jill S. Willhoft and Cindy G. Martin of the New Orleans firm Harris & Rufty LLC.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Case number 2:15-cv-07015