NEW ORLEANS – The owner of a vessel is seeking damages after it claims a collision rendered the ship inoperable.
China National Chartering Co. LTD filed a lawsuit Jan 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against the vessel Myrna Ann and L&L Marine Transportation Inc., citing negligence.
China National Chartering Co. asserts that one of its vessels, Da Cheng, was traveling up the Mississippi River around the vicinity of Mile 138 Above Head of Passes on or about Jan. 9, 2015, when it was struck by barges towed by the Myrna Ann. The plaintiff asserts that this accident was in no way caused or as a result of its actions but of the defendant’s failure to navigate properly, failure to control the barges in tow and failure to maneuver to avoid collision. As a result, plaintiff’s vessel allegedly suffered damages.
It is suing for $150,000 in damages, interests, attorney fees and costs, and is seeking the court to condemn and sell the Myrna Ann. It is represented by Robert J. Barbier and Meredith W. Blanque from the offices of Phelps Dunbar LLP in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-00807