Maritime Collisions

A maritime collision can be a serious incident leading to vessel damage, environmental damage, and harm to crew members. Collisions in ports can damage infrastructure and injure shore-based workers. If you have been involved in a maritime collision and were hurt, you may be entitled to seek compensation.

What Is a Maritime Collision?

A maritime collision is a maritime accident involving contact between two moving ships. The term for contact between a ship and a stationary object, either another ship or a shore-based object, is allision. Allisions are often included under the category of collision in news stories and accident statistics.

Types of Maritime Collisions

A collision or allision at sea or in port can take many different forms:

Collisions Between Two Ships

Two ships might strike each other while both are moving or while one is moving and the other is stationary (allision). These incidents can be categorized by where on the ships they occur:

• Side Collisions occur when one vessel is struck on either the port or starboard side as opposed to the stern or bow. These can occur at various angles, including 90 degrees when one ship strikes another head-on.
• Stern Collisions occur when a ship is struck in the stern (the rear of the ship). This might occur when one vessel is attempting to overtake the other.
• Bow-on Collisions occur when two vessels hit head-on, striking with their bows or front ends. Ships approaching each other are supposed to change course to the starboard to avoid this type of collision.

Collisions with Stationary Objects

Also known as an allision, this happens when a moving vessel strikes a stationary object, including a stationary ship. An allision might also involve a bridge, a seawall, a dock, a pier, or a drilling rig or oil platform.

Collisions with Wildlife

The term for a collision of a vessel and a marine animal is a vessel strike. Vessel strikes rarely damage a vessel but are often devastating for the animal. These incidents can injure or kill wildlife.

What Causes Maritime Collisions?

Causes of maritime collisions vary, from operator error to equipment failure and weather.

Human Error

The most challenging aspect of maritime safety to control is human behavior. Any mistake crew members make could potentially lead to an accident. This includes ignoring navigation systems, being under the influence while operating, being sleep deprived, or simply making the wrong decision when operating a vessel.

Inadequate Training

Crew members should be trained for their roles on board vessels. This is the responsibility of the companies that own or manage ships. Sometimes, workers are not trained well enough, or they are put into roles that don’t match their training. This can lead to devastating mistakes and accidents, like collisions.

Equipment Failure

Maritime vessels are equipped with technology to make transportation safer, but sometimes it fails. If the navigation fails or a ship loses power, a collision could occur.

Bad Weather

Ships are equipped for bad weather. They have advanced storm-tracking technology, and workers are trained to respond to weather events. However, weather can still be an issue, especially if equipment fails or crew members make mistakes. Bad weather can obscure visibility or even create winds that drive a vessel into another ship or a stationary object.

Infrastructure Problems

Sometimes, the problem leading to an allision may be with stationary infrastructure objects. For example, if a drawbridge is supposed to be open at a certain time and is closed, it could result in a collision from a vessel that wasn’t informed and couldn’t stop in time.

What Are the Consequences of Maritime Collisions?

Collisions can be minor, severe, or anything in between. A collision between a large vessel and another ship or stationary object rarely results in no damage or harm. Some of the potential consequences of maritime collisions include:

• Damage to infrastructure
• Damage to vessels
• Financial repercussions due to damage
• Injuries to crew members or people on shore
• Fatalities
• Environmental damage due to oil spills or toxic materials

Examples of Maritime Collisions

There are unfortunately many examples of maritime collisions from all over the world that illustrate how damaging these accidents can be.

Cargo Ship Collision with Key Bridge

One of the most extreme examples of the damage that can result from an allision was the strike by a large cargo ship on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. The collision occurred after the ship lost power and pilots could no longer control the vessel. The strike collapsed the entire bridge, resulting in six fatalities and extensive infrastructure and environmental damage.

Oil Tanker and Warship Collision

In 2018, the Norwegian naval frigate Helge Ingstad collided with the Sola TS, an oil tanker, in the North Sea. The frigate sank and was lost. Eight people suffered injuries in the collision.

Recordings showed that the officer in charge of the frigate’s bridge failed to respond to concerns made over the radio by the tanker crew. The officer was found negligent. Poor coastal monitoring was also found to have played a role in the collision.

What Rights Do Workers Have After a Maritime Collision?

If you were injured on a vessel involved in a collision, you could be entitled to compensation. Federal laws, like the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, give maritime workers avenues for recovering damages after an accident.

A maritime lawyer can help you determine which law applies to your situation. They can help you seek compensation and determine a fair amount to cover your medical and other expenses.

If you lost a loved one in a maritime collision, you may be entitled to survivor benefits. A maritime lawyer can help you with this type of claim. Contact an experienced attorney to review your case and provide guidance and advice.