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Posted in Maritime Accidents,Maritime Lawsuits on February 15, 2012
Over 30 additional survivors of the Costa Concordia disaster have joined a Florida lawsuit that accuses the Costa Concordia owners, Carnival Cruise Corp., of gross negligence and fraud, according to a Reuters report.
According to the report, an amended lawsuit was filed on Tuesday on behalf of 33 additional survivors of the shipwreck in the state circuit of Miami against the cruise giant and several of its subsidiaries including Florida-based Costa Cruise Lines and Costa Crociere. The 33 additional survivors joined the six plaintiffs in the original lawsuit filed in January.
The amended lawsuit alleges that the crew of the Costa Concordia failed to conduct muster drills required under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The lawsuit places blame on the ships captain and crew saying the captain waited to long before giving the order to evacuate and the crew had failed in performing proper evacuation of the sinking vessel. As a result, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit says that the cruise line “inflicted emotional distress and failed to provide prompt and adequate aid to survivors”.
The lawsuit asks for more than $78 million in compensatory damages and at least $450 million in punitive damages.
Meanwhile Costa has extended the deadline for passengers willing to accept the companies offer of $14,500 per passenger plus refund and travel reimbursement. Costa’s offer oringinally gave passengers until February 14 to accept the offer however that deadline has been extended to March 31.