NEW ORLEANS – A property owner is holding the operators and owners of the vessel Cindy R responsible for damages after an alleged collision.
Jon Gonsoulin filed a lawsuit on Feb. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Court of Louisiana against the Cindy R and Gulf South Marine Transportation Inc., claiming the defendants’ negligence led to damages to his property.
Plaintiff alleges that he owns property at 474 Keely Ann Drive, Houma. The said properties were allegedly abutting the Intracoastal Waterway when, on Feb. 22, 2015, the Cindy R, owned and operated by Gulf South Marine, allegedly allided against it while it was towing six salt barges and traveling eastbound on the Intercoastal Waterway. The incident allegedly happened at 9 p.m. and the suit states the allision caused substantial damages to the bulkhead and adjoining property of the plaintiff.
As a result, the plaintiff claims that the expenses to repair to the bulkhead are estimated to be $350,000 while additional repair to the rest of the property could range from $200,000 to $1,200,000. The Plaintiff asserts that the accident was the result of negligence on the behalf of the defendants, who failed to navigate and maintain the vessel.
Therefore, Gonsoulin is asking the court to demand that the operators and owner of the Cindy R to appear in court and answer the claims, award him damages with interests, cost of suit, and any other rewards deemed just by the court. He is represented by Scott R. Wheaton and D. Lance Cardwell from Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-CV-01203-EEF-DEK