Port of New Orleans sues tanker owners following ship collision on Mississippi River

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - The Port of New Orleans has filed a $1 million federal lawsuit against the owners of the tanker vessel that struck and sank a New Orleans riverboat on Friday.

The lawsuit was filed Friday evening in the Eastern District of Louisiana and names the Atlantic Asphalt MV, Nave Shipping SA, and Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd. as defendants.

It alleges the maritime mishap caused at least $1 million in damage to the Thalia Street Terminal where the paddlewheel cruise ship American Heritage was docked.

An arrest warrant was also issued, directing federal marshals to seize and hold the marine vessel Atlantic Asphalt, a 525-foot ship that on Friday afternoon appeared to lose control as it passed beneath the Crescent City Connection bridge, according to court documents.

The tanker veered to the right, striking the docked river cruise ship American Heritage, causing it to capsize and partially sink.

The riverboat had 192 passengers aboard, but authorities said all were rescued safely, with 32 requiring hospital treatment.

“As a result of the Atlantic Asphalt’s allision with the American Heritage and the incident, the Board’s Thalia Street Terminal was significantly damaged,” the lawsuit noted. “The extent of said damage remains under investigation, but physical damage is currently estimated to exceed $1 million with additional substantial direct, indirect and consequential damages anticipated.”

The lawsuit identifies Nave Shipping SA as a corporation registered in the country of Liberia.

“According to publicly available information, Nave Shipping is the registered owner and ship manager and commercial manager of the Atlantic Asphalt,” the suit said.

Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd. is identified in the suit as a private limited company based in Singapore.

According to the lawsuit, Thome is the Atlantic Asphalt’s ISM manager, “responsible for the effective implementation of the ‘International Safety Management’ code aboard the tanker.

The lawsuit said the Port of New Orleans board has “incurred and will continue to incur additional damages and expenses including ... cleanup, surveys, repair, replacement and salvage costs, resulting in a maritime lien against the Atlantic Asphalt.”

The claim cites “negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness of the Atlantic Asphalt” as the cause of the allision, a term referring to a moving vessel striking one that is securely moored.

“As a result, ... the Atlantic Asphalt, Nave Shipping, Thome (and potentially other parties not yet identified with responsibility for the operation, condition, crewing and seaworthiness of the Atlantic Asphalt) are solidarily liable for all damages sustained by The Board,” the lawsuit said.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit listed are the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, represented by attorneys Christopher Hannan, Sara Kuebel, and Abigail Weiland of the high-powered New Orleans law firm Jones Walker.

Court records show the initial case assignment allotted to federal magistrate Karen Wells Roby and to U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter, chief judge at the federal courthouse in New Orleans.