Representing Two Families of Mississippi River Towboat Collision Victims

Two weeks ago, a vessel collision on the Mississippi River claimed the lives of three men. The incident occurred on January 26 in the early hours of the morning and involved two towing vessels, the RC Creppel and the Cooperative Spirit. All victims were from the crew of the Creppel, and the boat sank because of the incident.

Arnold & Itkin Is Representing the Families of Two Victims

Now, Arnold & Itkin is representing two of the families who lost their loved ones because of the collision. We assert that the owners of the towing vessels failed to maintain safe mechanisms and instructed crew members to accomplish their work in an unsafe manner. Had these vessel owners been more responsible, they could have prevented this deadly accident from happening.

“This should never have happened. The defendants are going to have to answer some tough questions because this disaster was preventable,” said Arnold & Itkin co-founder Kurt Arnold in a statement.

Our team filed this case in Orleans Parish, Louisiana against Elite Towing Inc. and American River Transportation Co. Shortly after the incident, American River Transportation filed a claim under the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851. This 150-year-old law once protected the U.S. maritime industry but is now used by negligent companies to avoid responsibility for incidents they’ve caused. It has forced our clients to take legal action while they’re still trying to grapple with the loss of their loved ones.

With this lawsuit, we hope to obtain the compensation that these grieving families deserve. No one should die while working to support their family. Our team will fight to obtain the recovery that these families deserve to get through this difficult time, just as we’ve done for other clients who’ve needed our help in the past.