Italy cruise ship passengers file $528 mn US lawsuit
MIAMI: Thirty-nine survivors of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off Italy last month filed an amended lawsuit in Florida state court Tuesday seeking more than half a billion dollars in...
February 15, 2012
The suit filed against Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines Inc., and its subsidiary Costa Cruise Line - which owns the Costa Concordia - seeks $78 million in damages and $450 million in punitive damages.
The defendants "acted in a severely reckless and willful, wanton manner, with complete disregard for the safety, lives and well being of the plaintiffs," said Marc Bern, a lawyer representing the passengers.
Legal experts say that it could be difficult to win the case in a US court because the Costa Cruise Line tickets stated that any legal action against the company should be taken in Italy.
Lewis Shelton, another passenger lawyer, was undeterred.
The 39 plaintiffs include passengers from Italy, the United States, Germany, Canada, South Korea and China.
The Costa Concordia had 4,229 people aboard including about 1,000 personnel when it ran aground on January 13 near Giglio, a picturesque island off Tuscany.
Thirty-two people are believed to have died in the tragedy, although the bodies of 15 have not been recovered. (AFP)
