Miller Thibodeaux Dysart Veith & Paschal, LLC, together with co-counsel AMO Trial Lawyers, LLC, Ory Law Group, LLC, and St. Martin & Bourque, has filed a class action lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana against LOOP, LLC (the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port), on behalf of Louisiana shrimpers, crabbers, commercial fishermen, and seafood businesses harmed by a major oil spill on February 26, 2026.
On that date, more than 31,500 gallons of heavy Venezuelan crude oil spilled from LOOP’s offshore facility into the Gulf of America, ultimately washing ashore along Louisiana’s coastline and into the territorial waters of Terrebonne Parish. LOOP was unprepared for the spill and deliberately downplayed its size and scope to the public and government authorities in the critical days that followed, delaying an adequate response and allowing far more oil to reach Louisiana’s coast than necessary.
The named plaintiffs – a shrimp boat captain, a commercial fisherman and crabber, and two Houma-based seafood businesses – represent hundreds of individuals and businesses whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the spill.
The suit alleges the timing could not have been worse. The spill struck just before the opening of Louisiana’s brown shrimp season, during peak crabbing season, and during the oyster spawning season. State health officials ordered the closure of oyster beds in Terrebonne Parish, and as recently as April 1, 2026, fishermen were still pulling oil-coated shrimp and crabs from Louisiana waters.
LOOP’s handling of the compensation claims process is also at issue in the lawsuit. Rather than informing claimants of their rights under federal law, LOO P’s claims representatives pressured affected fishermen into signing sweeping releases (waiving all future claims) on the spot, without the opportunity to consult an attorney or even a family member. Federal law expressly prohibits this practice. Plaintiffs are asking the court to oversee LOOP’s claims process, bring it into compliance with the law, and void any improperly obtained releases.
The firm is seeking full compensation for lost income, property damage, and other economic losses, as well as punitive damages for LOOP’s gross negligence and willful misconduct.
The litigation is led by Miller Thibodeaux attorneys Kerry Miller, Danny Dysart, Rebekka Veith, Hogan Paschal, Monica Bergeron, and Carly McCleskey.
This matter is captioned Trahan et al. v. LOOP, LLC, Civil Action No. 2:26-cv-00714, pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.