About The Ohio River
The Ohio River begins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers and flows to Cairo, Illinois where it empties into the Mississippi River. Stretching 981 miles, the river passes through or borders six states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. In addition to Pittsburgh, major cities along the river include Huntingdon, WV, Cincinnati, OH, Louisville, KY and Evansville, IN.
The Ohio River System is a busy waterway, with more than 230 million tons of cargo traversing the river each year. Barges, towboats, tugboats, ferries and other vessels carry petroleum, coal, crude oil, gravel, sand and other products to refineries and markets. Its tributaries include the Muskingum, Miami, Scioto and Wabash rivers from the north and the Green, Kentucky, Licking, Big Sandy, Kanawha, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers from the North. There are also 20 dams on the river which are managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Ports and harbors on the Ohio River include:
- Port of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Port of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
- Jefferson Riverport, Louisville KY
- Henderson County Riverport, Henderson, KY
- Owensboro Riverport, Owensboro, KY
- Wurtland Riverport, Wurtland, KY
- Port of Evansville, Evansville, IN
- Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville, IN
- Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, IN
Marine terminals along the Ohio River handle a mix of goods and products. A 2012 Ohio Department of Transportation Ohio River Terminals Analysis listed the following general terminals:
- River and Marine Terminals – Paducah, Kentucky
- Consolidated Terminals and Logistics Company
- Kinder Morgan-River Terminal
- Benchmark River and Rail Terminals, LLC
- Marathon Petroleum, LLC
- Westway Terminal Co., LLC
- Kinder Morgan-Cincinnati Steel
- Port of Cincinnati (Subsidiary of CBT)
- Cincinnati Bulk Terminals (CBT), LLC
- Noramco Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Barge and Rail Terminal, LLC
- Kinder Morgan – Queen City Terminal
- Scioto Docking, Inc. (Wheelersburg Terminal)
- Scioto Docking, Inc. (McGovney River Terminal)
- McGinnis, Inc.
- The Point Industrial Park (South Point)
- Marietta Industrial Enterprises, Inc.
- Price Inland Terminal Company
- S.H. Bell Company
- D.W. Dickey & Son, Inc.
- Parsons Coal Company
- Wellsville Terminals Company
- L & J Bowers, Inc.
- Bellaire Harbor Services
- Columbiana County Port Authority (Wellsville)
Accidents on the Ohio River – Jones Act Lawsuit
With millions of tons of cargo traveling along the Ohio River each year, maritime accidents and injuries are a regular occurrence. The individuals working on the tugs, barges, ferries, boats and other vessels that traverse the Ohio River face great risks every day they are on the job. Recreational boaters must also be aware of hazardous conditions caused by heavy commercial traffic as well as the river’s locks and dams.
If you are a seaman or other maritime worker who has been injured while working on a barge, dredge, towboat, push-boat or other vessel on the Ohio River, the Willis Law Firm can help. We have over thirty years of experience protecting the rights of injured maritime workers across the nation.
The Jones Act is a federal statute that provides compensation to certain categories of maritime workers who are injured on the job. When a maritime employee is injured in course of employment on the Ohio River, the worker will typically be entitled to recover maintenance and cure benefits. In many situations, the worker can also pursue a Jones Act suit against his or her employer as well legal claims against other parties, including the vessel owner.
Contact the Willis Law Firm
If you have been injured on the Ohio River or another river or waterway while on the job, it is essential to consult an experienced Jones Act attorney who will review your accident and take the steps necessary to protect and preserve your legal rights. Our firm offers free, confidential consultations to injured seamen from coast to coast. Contact us today at 1-800-468-4878 to schedule a meeting with a skilled maritime attorney at our firm.
