The Port of New Orleans has initiated legal proceedings against the owners and managers of the asphalt tanker responsible for colliding with a docked cruise ship on the Mississippi River. According to a lawsuit reviewed by CBS News, the port asserts that the tanker bears full responsibility for the incident, with the collision resulting in damages exceeding $1 million to port property.
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the considerably smaller American Heritage passenger vessel while it was docked at the port’s Thalia Street Terminal on Friday afternoon. At the time of the collision, an estimated 129 passengers and several crew members were aboard the cruise ship, according to Port NOLA. All individuals on both vessels were subsequently accounted for, with no fatalities or critical injuries reported. However, the cruise ship was left capsized and largely submerged in the river’s waters.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court late Friday, names the tanker , identified as the M/V Atlantic Asphalt , along with its owner, Nave Shipping SA, and its management company, Thome Ship Management Pte, Ltd.
According to the lawsuit, the full extent of the damage is still under assessment, and the port is seeking financial compensation to cover costs associated with cleanup, inspections, repairs, and other related expenses.
As part of its legal remedy, the port has requested that the tanker be seized and sold to satisfy the damages claimed.
The lawsuit further alleges that the tanker and its operating companies failed “to use all available means to avoid the risk of” colliding with the stationary riverboat, emphasizing that a legal presumption of fault arises when a moving vessel strikes a stationary object.
The collision, according to the lawsuit, “occurred as a result of the negligence, gross negligence, fault or careless of the” ship and its operating companies.
Neither Nave Shipping nor Thome Ship Management responded immediately to requests for comment from CBS News regarding the lawsuit.
Thome did, however, publish a statement on Saturday morning addressing the incident, confirming that all crew members aboard the Atlantic Asphalt are safe and accounted for. The company also noted that the tanker had been separated from the riverboat and is currently anchored securely while damage assessments are conducted.
“OSM Thome is fully complying with the local authorities as they carry out the necessary investigations,” the company stated. “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all parties and personnel who responded to this incident with urgency and humanity.”
The lawsuit additionally notes that further parties may be identified and subsequently added to the legal proceedings as the ongoing investigation into the incident develops.
