Located on beautiful President’s Island, the Port of Memphis is the fourth largest inland port in the United States and one of the largest ports along the length of the Mississippi River. Even in the waters of the inland United States, if you are injured while working in connection with a vessel in navigation you’ll need an experienced maritime lawyer – and that means you’ll need O’Bryan Law.*
Port of Memphis Traffic & Shipping
Thanks to its location in the “lock free” lower area of the Mississippi River, the Port of Memphis serves traffic from both domestic and international businesses. Ships arriving to and departing from the port have easy and fast access to destinations such as St. Louis and the Port of New Orleans, and the local climate ensures that the port is free of ice all year round, ensuring ease of transport. Several larger international shipping companies also call Memphis home, from domestic agencies like FedEx (who houses their FedEx World Hub in Memphis and uses the port for shipping) to foreign companies like Nippon Express USA, one of Asia’s largest international distributors of goods.
Memphis Maritime Accidents & Hazards
The waters of the Mississippi mean that anyone working or playing on the water needs to be careful of other boats, docking equipment, and the river itself. Choppy wind conditions and inconsistent currents in this area of the Mississippi create a hazard for boats of any size, and the traffic surrounding the port creates plenty of opportunity for collisions and equipment malfunction. In recent times, the river itself has become more unpredictable, with a flood in 2011 resulting in the Mississippi nearly cutting the peninsula of President’s Island in half as a bend on the north edge became completely submerged. Even without major external influences or disasters, the frequent traffic across the Port of Memphis has resulted in an increase in accidents involving both commercial vehicles like tugboats, and personal boats and other vehicles simply trying to enjoy their time on the water.
Memphis, MS Recreational Boating
Of course, not all of the Mississippi is so unwelcoming. Memphis is home to the Memphis State Recreation Area, a spacious park with a 48-area lake perfect for a leisurely day out on the water for relaxing, fishing, or both. If you’re looking for a fun place to take the kids, Mud Island River Park sits on a northern bank of the river and offers plenty of boating adventures like an old-fashioned river ferry, pedal boats, yachting, and more.
For all its beauty, the Port of Memphis (and, by extension, the Mississippi River) can be a dangerous place to live, work, or play. If you find yourself injured on the water, O’Bryan Law has the knowledge and experience you need to get the justice and compensation you deserve. Contact O’Bryan Law with any of your maritime law questions or concerns – we’re here to help you.
*Dennis M. O’Bryan is enrolled to practice before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals which hears appeals from the federal district courts in Tennessee. In those federal district courts in which he is not generally admitted to practice, such as in Memphis, he gains admission pro hac vice, on a case by case basis. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, where his office is located.
