Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has been retained by the family of crew member tragically killed in the July 19, 2024, collision between a towboat, known as Miss Peggy, and the Singaporean-flagged MV Yangze 7, a freightliner, in the Houston Ship Channel. The Houston Ship Channel serves the Port of Houston, located in Harris County, Texas. The family has filed a lawsuit asserting admiralty and maritime negligence claims arising from vessel owners and operators.
The lawsuit alleges that the owners of Miss Peggy and the MV Yangze 7 violated core admiralty and maritime principles in the lead-up to this event, and because of their negligence, are each liable for the death of the crewmember. Available information suggests that Miss Peggy was overtaken by the MV Yangze 7 at around 3PM near the Lynchburg ferry landing, causing the 50’x20’ towboat to capsize with five individuals aboard. Four were successfully rescued by Good Samaritans. Search and rescue efforts by federal and local authorities were unsuccessful. Miss Peggy has since been raised from the bottom of the Channel. It is alleged that Miss Peggy was unseaworthy and not equipped to operate in the heavily trafficked Channel. It is also alleged the captain, pilot, and crew of the MV Yangze 7 were negligently operating the vessel and failing to follow required navigational and safety procedures in place for large vessels navigating the Houston Ship Channel and entering or exiting the Port of Houston.
Several admiralty and maritime lawsuits have been filed, and this catastrophic incident will certainly result in complex litigation. Working in these environments is extremely dangerous, and those owners of companies operating in the shipping and offshore industries owe their employees, third parties, and the public a duty to operate their businesses safely. Port of Houston is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage, making Harris County a leading gateway for international trade. But this economic prosperity comes with costs, which are often borne by the workers in the form of debilitating injuries and workplace fatalities. When compromised safety results in injury, it is imperative the injured person and their family obtain legal representation skilled in admiralty and maritime law to defend their rights.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP is honored to represent the family of the departed crewmember in this admiralty case. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s attorneys have decades of experience in representing injured workers on vessels, in shipyards, and offshore, under maritime law, the Jones Act, and various other offshore injury statutes. If you or someone close to you has suffered an injury due to the negligence of a shipyard or offshore company, contact the lawyers at Doyle Dennis Avery LLP for an evaluation of your potential claim.
