Towing Vessel and Barge Expert Witness
Towing is some of the most dangerous work on American waters, and much of it happens out of sight, on rivers and in fleeting areas at two in the morning. When a deckhand is hurt on a lock wall or a tow breaks apart in high water, the questions are practical. Was the tow made up properly? Was the crew trained for the task? Did the company's safety system match what the crew did?
Captain Stoller served on the Towing Safety Advisory Committee, which advises the Coast Guard on towing safety. He brings that regulatory background together with decades of reviewing towing casualties for counsel on both sides.
Issues Captain Stoller evaluates
- Deckhand injuries handling lines, wires, ratchets, and rigging
- Tow makeup, facing up, and breaking tow
- Lock and dam transits and line handling on lock walls
- Barge breakaways, fleeting operations, and high-water practice
- Meeting, crossing, and overtaking on the Western Rivers
- Manning, watch schedules, and fatigue
- Towing safety management systems and Subchapter M compliance
- Tank barge transfers and hose handling
- Allisions with bridges, docks, and moored barges
Why his background fits
Few towing experts have also sat on the federal committee that advises on towing safety rules. Captain Stoller can speak to what the regulations require, why they were written that way, and what a well-run towing company does to meet them.
Documents to gather
Deck logs, crew list and licenses, the towing safety management system (TSMS) or company procedures, Subchapter M certificate of inspection, training records, CG-2692 report, AIS track, photos of the gear involved.
Common questions
Does Subchapter M apply to every towing vessel?
It covers most U.S. towing vessels 26 feet or longer, with listed exceptions. Whether it applied, and which compliance option the company chose, is one of the first things to pin down.
Can a deep-sea master testify about a towboat case?
Courts look at whether the expert's experience fits the specific opinion offered. Captain Stoller's opinions in towing cases rest on his towing safety committee work, the regulations, and industry practice, and he keeps them inside that scope.
What if the company had a written procedure but the crew did not follow it?
That gap between paper and practice is often the center of the case. He compares the written system to logs, training records, and testimony.