Floridians are no strangers to severe weather like wind, rain and hurricanes as these events are the unfortunate downside to living in this part of the world. However, people can typically take the appropriate precautions to protect themselves and their families when this weather approaches.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen and people get seriously hurt or killed in storms. In some cases, there is no one to blame or anything that could have been to prevent an injury-causing accident; in other cases, there is a party responsible and he or she can be held accountable. One family is claiming the presumed death of their loved one falls into the latter category.
The man worked aboard a cargo ship that was traveling to Puerto Rico when reports of Hurricane Joaquin were announced. The storm tore through the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed areas of the Bahamas where the storm was categorized as a Level 4 hurricane.
It was in this area where the cargo ship disappeared. While neither the ship nor the crew members have been found yet, authorities presume the ship was destroyed and there were no survivors.
The family of one of those victims recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the wake of the devastating incident claiming that the ship’s captain and the operator of the ship are to blame for the loss. They argue the ship should have never been in the area because it was unsafe and ill-equipped for hurricane conditions. Further, they state that the captain should have altered the ship’s route to avoid the storm. Instead, the ship went directly into it.
For these reasons, the family wants to hold the captain and the operator responsible for their loss. They are seeking $100 million in their lawsuit.
These situations are undoubtedly devastating. Losing a loved one in any accident is tragic, but when family members have reason to believe the accident could have been prevented, it can be enormously difficult to come to terms with the loss. Holding the appropriate parties accountable can help people find some closure and gain some much-needed acknowledgment of the loss.
Source: Business Insurance, “Wrongful death lawsuit filed in cargo ship sinking,” Sarah Veysey, Oct. 20, 2015