Death Toll Rises in Cruise Ship Disaster, Cruise Line Offers Insulting Deal to Victims

by Emily Mapp Brannon ebrannon@hsinjurylaw.com

Emily is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

1/24/2012
Emily Mapp Brannon
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Death Toll From Italian Cruise Ship Disaster Rises as Cruise Line Offers Insulting Deal to Victims

Fifteen people are now confirmed dead from the Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck, and 17 people remain missing. Given the amount of time that has passed since the January 13, 2012, accident, it is, unfortunately, likely that few of the missing passengers and crew will be found alive.

It’s a heartbreaking realization and incredibly frustrating to watch this horrible event unfold. What’s so infuriating is that the cruise ship wreck probably could have been prevented if the ship’s captain had been responsible. The captain has been charged with multiple counts of manslaughter, abandoning ship, unsafely steering the cruise ship too close to shore and causing a shipwreck.

An attorney with the Virginia-based Shapiro, Lewis & Appeton law firm is currently representing two passengers who were injured when the Costa Concordia wrecked. In our investigation of the accident and its aftermath, our stff lawyer learned from a report in the Telegraph that Carnival Cruise, in what appears to be an attempt to dissuade passengers from pursuing damages is offering a 30 percent discount on future cruises. To call that offer insulting would be an understatement.

In fact, that’s exactly what a 63-year-old passenger who survived by sliding from one side of the deck to another to find a lifeboat, said about the offer. "It is a ridiculous and insulting offer. I'm very disappointed in them,” the person told the newspaper.

The 30 percent offer on future cruises does not appear to be very effective. More than 100 passengers have already joined a class action lawsuit due to be filed in Miami, Florida (FL).

Our injury law firm plans to aggressively pursue the interests of our clients who suffered serious physical, emotional and psychological trauma from this cruise ship wreck. Our clients were actually interviewed by 20/20 and Entertainment Tonight about their experiences.

To get a sense of just how terrifying it was on board the Costa Concordia, take a look at this video of passengers trying to evacuate the cruise ship:

PA

Category: Boat/Watercraft Accidents

Labels: accident Accidents captain Costa Concordia cruise ship injuries injury lawyer passenger ship wreck trauma Wreck

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia (VA) injury law firm whose attorneys focus exclusively on personal injury and accident law. We have a proven track record in the court room, and you can review our case results to see for yourself. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in VA if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of another person or company.

Virginia injury lawyers Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Shapiro and Lewis have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. Rick, Jim and Randy have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law (Jim since '06, Rick since '10, and Randy since '12). This is a prestigious recognition that only 5 percent of lawyers receive.

We were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our Virginia Beach accident injury firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

We also offer free special reports and edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard blog sites as a public information service.

Our attorneys have deep roots in Virginia and handle cases throughout the commonwealth including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton and Suffolk, VA.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential consultations, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to the high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you shortly.

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Death Toll From Italian Cruise Ship Disaster Rises as Cruise Line Offers Insulting Deal to Victims

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