Calhoun Port Authority
A gateway to world markets for the Texas mid-coast region, it is located in the Matagorda Ship channel and Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. The Port plays an essential role in Texas chemical manufacturing industries and building a table economic foundation for Calhoun County. The cargo in Calhoun Port is primarily made up of chemicals, petrochemicals, crude oil, agricultural fertilizer and more. Most of these high value chemicals are produced by area industries which are then sold to export to markets around the world. The Calhoun Port is also available to handle and accommodate break bulk cargo, heavy equipment, dry bulk materials, and loads which need to travel safely to store and or load it into ships or barges.
- The Calhoun Port Authority plays a crucial role in facilitating trade and supporting the economy of Texas’ mid-coast region and.
- When it comes to imports, the Port handles a variety of products, including dry bulk, fertilizers, and chemicals and petrochemicals. This includes Bauxite, Liquid Fertilizer, Petrochemical feedstocks – Naphtha, Fluorspar and Anhydrous Ammonia. Its imports are Petrochemical Products and Alumina.
- Activities which take place at the Calhoun Port Authority are their Liquid Cargo Ship Terminal, Hazardous material containment systems, and dry bulk dock which has an unloading system using a conveyor belt.
- It also includes general cargo facilities which handles break bulk and heavy cargo lifting. The lifts/cranes on the Port are used to lift any heavy cargo or machinery from boats.
- In its Liquid Cargo Barge Terminal, it has a barge staging area with 900ft of bulkhead and this area is for mooring before and after cargo transfer operations.
- A certain area has been allotted for storing chemicals and crude oil, as well as fertilizers and other chemical products.
- The multi-purpose dock’s functions are Handling project cargoes, heavy equipment, roll-on/roll-off and certain dry bulk shipments moving by ship or by barge.
- Additionally, the Calhoun Port Authority has a rail service, served by the Point Comfort and Northern Railway which is connected to Union Pacific’s main line, 20 miles north of the Port’s main harbor.
Accidents may pose a danger to the workers and environment around the Port of Brownsville. Examples of accidents which may occur are but not limited to collisions, ship grounding, chemical spills, overboard accidents, slips and falls from unsafe working conditions, unsuitable equipment and insufficient training leading to injury, crane accidents, drownings, electrocutions, and wrongful death. There is also a risk of cargo being accidentally dropped on workers or machinery malfunctioning.
From these accidents listed, injuries which could occur at the Port may vary from level of pain and body parts affected and can even have severe consequences. Examples of injuries which may occur are but not limited to back and neck injuries, herniated discs and brain injuries, loss of limbs, lung problems, torn muscles, ligaments, or tendons, broken bones, burns compartment syndrome, crush injuries, deep cuts or lacerations, and drowning or near-drowning incidents. Traumatic brain injuries, smoke inhalation, and even cancers due to chemical exposure are faced at a higher risk by longshoremen and other dock workers.
Types of workers on this Port include maritime workers, longshore workers, Jones Act workers, and dock workers and seamen in general.
- Although the potential dangers listed above may scare people from engaging in activities on the Calhoun Port Authority, it remains as a thriving center of trade and commerce.
- Many efforts are made to ensure the safety of workers and the environment around the Port. Several notable companies such as Kirby Offshore, Bryant Marine, Norton Lily, Valls Shipping, ISS (Inchcape Shipping Services) are all marine transport companies affiliated and working on this Port.
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$7.86 Million – Gillies V. Valaris PLC
Claims: Jones Act/Maritime Law
Jury Verdict: $7.86 million – Gillies v. Valaris PLC
On January 12, 2022, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP secured a $7.86 million verdict on behalf of Gordon Gillies, a drill ship operations adviser, who was injured while working on a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr. Gillies brought claims for negligence against Valaris PLC (formerly Ensco/Rowan Drilling) and for unseaworthiness of its vessel, the drillship DS-15. At trial, the jury determined that Valaris failed to maintain a stair case from the derrick elevator down to the “deadman” deck of the vessel. Specifically, the second step on the stair case lacked a protective bullnose – an important safety guard at the end of each step. As a result of this defect, Mr. Gillies fell and suffered injuries to his tail bone, back, and spine.
After hearing four days of testimony and argument in the 270th District Court of Harris County, the jury attributed 90% of the negligence that caused the client’s injuries to Valaris and only 10% to the client. Even more telling, the jury attributed 99% of the unseaworthiness of the ship to Valaris and only 1% to the client.
Ultimately, the jury agreed with Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and found that Valaris was negligent in creating the dangerous conditions on the ship. The jury awarded $1,821,000 in past damages (including pain, mental anguish, loss of earning capacity, disfigurement, impairment, and medical care) and $6,040,000 in future damages (including pain, mental anguish, loss of earning capacity, impairment, and medical care).
$350,000 – Deaver V. Noble Drilling (US) LLC
Claims: Jones Act/Maintenance and Cure/Unseaworthiness
Jury Verdict: $350,000.00 ($340,500.00 after contributory negligence offset; judgment not yet entered).
On June 15, 2018, a Harris County District Court Jury (Houston, Texas) found that Noble Drilling (US) LLC provided an unseaworthy vessel that caused injuries to Nathan Deaver. The jury also found that Noble unreasonably and callously failed to provide Mr. Deaver with maintenance and cure benefits. Michael Patrick Doyle, Patrick Dennis, and Jeffrey Avery of Doyle Dennis Avery LLP represented Mr. Deaver as trial counsel.
The plaintiff is a Texas resident who worked as a floor hand on the drillship the M/V Noble Tom Madden – a vessel owned and operated by the Houston-based Noble Drilling. In more detail, Mr. Deaver claimed that Noble failed to provide a vessel with a properly manned and experienced crew, and that Noble also failed to provide proper safety instructions related to his work in the shaker room aboard the vessel. Despite repeated requests to Noble by Mr. Deaver, Noble failed to provide Mr. Deaver with the necessary staffing and caused Mr. Deaver to suffer injury to his ankle, heel, and foot.
Based on this conduct, the jury found that M/V Tom Madden was unseaworthy and that Noble was responsible for Mr. Deaver’s injuries.
