Personal Injury
Cruise Ship Collides with Cargo Ship in Romania
Several news outlets are reporting that on October 5th a cruise ship slammed into a cargo ship in Tulcea waters, Romania. The incident took place at around 5:00 AM when the Prinzessin Isabella, which was carrying 165 passengers at the time, collided with a Panamanian cargo ship. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported. Two passengers…
Read MoreConception Dive Boat Tragedy – Summary of What We Know and What We Don’t Know
Below is a summary of what we know and what we don’t know about the Conception dive boat tragedy. Company Which Owns Boat Involved In Deadly Labor Day Fire In Channel Islands Suspends Operations #conception #diveboatfire @santabarbaraharbor #ntsb #santacruzisland https://t.co/zyQ7yQUhFM — LANCE OROZCO (@KCLUNEWS) October 1, 2019 What we know: On September 2, the…
Read MoreCruise Ship Travelers Should Investigate Hazards Before Booking
The moment cruise ship passengers step on the ship, they face numerous threats. Whether it be the outbreak of an illness, sexual assault, or injury while on the ship or excursion, the hazards are real and ever present. One of the biggest threats to cruise passengers is norovirus. This virus can be caused by contaminated…
Read MoreReport: U.S. Coast Guard Considering Changes to Rules about How Passengers and Crew Sleep aboard Dive Boats
The U.S. Coast Guard is reportedly considering changes to rules governing how people will be permitted to sleep aboard maritime vessels. The report comes on the heels of the Conception dive boat tragedy that killed 34 people in early September. All of the victims were asleep in a lower part of the ship when the…
Read MoreFederal Judge Not Satisfied with Carnival Cruise Line’s Anti-Pollution Progress
In 2016, Carnival Cruise Line was criminally convicted for violating federal anti-pollution regulations. Carnival and its subsidiary Princess were both fined millions of dollars for the violations, and Carnival was given a five year probation period in which the company was supposed to get its act together. But during a hearing about this matter this…
Read MoreA Month After California’s Deadliest Modern Maritime Tragedy Conception Dive Boat Owners Suspend Operations
On September 2, the Conception dive boat sank off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. The tragedy was the result of an onboard fire, and killed 34 people in California’s deadliest modern maritime tragedy. The owners of the boat, Truth Aquatics Inc., has been heavily criticized following a NTSB preliminary report which indicated that all…
Read MoreCruise Passenger Rescued after Falling Overboard from Ship
CruiseHive.com reports that On September 26th, a cruise ship passenger was rescued after falling overboard from the ship and spending an hour in the Pacific Ocean. The passenger, whose name wasn’t confirmed, was on the MSC Divina, which at the moment of the incident had just left Palma de Mallorca, Spain, towards Valencia. The event…
Read MoreCarnival Cruise Line Still Does Not Station Lifeguards at Onboard Swimming Pools
For decades, many of the major cruise companies refused to station lifeguards at onboard swimming pools. Royal Caribbean, Disney, and Carnival all saw fit to allow infants, toddlers, and children to use the companies’ swimming facilities without helping to ensure their safety by staffing the pool areas with safety personnel. Royal Caribbean and Disney both…
Read MoreInvestigators into Conception Fire So Far Unable to Determine the Cause of the Blaze
After a several week investigation into the cause of the deadly fire that killed 34 people aboard the Conception dive boat, authorities have been unable to determine the cause of the fire. The blaze broke out September 2 as the Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California. KTLA.com reports that…
Read MoreMan Admits to Beating Woman While Sailing on a Cruise Ship off Massachusetts Coast
In April, authorities arrested 45-year-old Adam Damian Panetta on suspicion of having severely beaten a woman as the two sailed on a cruise ship off the coast of Massachusetts. According to MassLive.com, prosecutors alleged that Panetta and the victim were acquaintances, and that the assault occurred as they were sailing on the Norwegian Gem cruise…
Read MoreRoyal Caribbean Crew Member Dead After Falling Overboard from Ship on Which He Worked
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has announced that earlier this month a crew member on one of its cruise ships fell overboard and was later pronounced dead. The Miami Herald reports that the victim, 35-year-old Mansley Pereira, was working on the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship on September 22 when he fell overboard. The ship…
Read MoreTesla Autopilot Not Ready for Prime Time – NTSB Blames Autopilot for Serious 2018 Crash
Much has been said about the car company Tesla and its vehicles’ revolutionary autopilot system. Videos on the internet have documented drivers literally asleep behind the wheel as their cars drove themselves. Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, has even taken his hands off the wheel while driving Teslas during numerous television interviews over the years. But…
Read MoreInvestigators Rebuilding Conception Dive Boat in Search for Cause of Deadly Fire
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the deadly fire that killed 34 people aboard the Conception dive boat earlier this month. After retrieving the boat from the sea nearly two weeks ago, investigators are now piercing the boat back together in an attempt to better understand the conditions that sparked the fire. The Los…
Read MorePassenger Vessel Association Recommends That Coast Guard Crack Down on Overnight Maritime Vessels
The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) has announced that it will advise members of the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct an inspection crackdown on overnight vessels, such as the Conception dive boat. The Conception caught fire earlier this month off the coast of California and sank, killing 34 people. In a statement, PVA members said that…
Read MoreMourners Remember Stockton Family of 5 Killed in Conception Boat Fire
WKRA.com reports that the memorial was held on Sunday at the San Joaquin Delta College auditorium for the victims, Michael Storm Quitasol, Fernisa Sison, Evanmichel Solano Quitasol, Angela Rose Solano Quitasol and Nicole Storm Solano Quitasol. Family members and friends remembered the Quitasols as hundreds of mourners filled the auditorium. #Conception wasn’t built to…
Read MoreCarnival Fantasy Damaged after Striking Lock in Panama Canal
The Carnival Carnival Fantasy cruise ship was damaged after striking a lock in the Panama Canal. Fox 10 News WALA reports that passengers were frightened after the ship struck the lock as it was being guided through the series of locks by canal workers. The WALA reports that a passenger who was aboard the vessel…
Read MoreInvestigation into Conception Fire Seems to Center Around Batteries and Chargers
When the 75-foot dive boat Conception caught fire over Labor Day weekend earlier this month, it is likely that the vessel’s electrical system was being used to charge many devices, such as cell phones and cameras. As the Los Angeles Times notes, when the boat was first built the digital revolution which would bring millions…
Read MoreConception Crew Member Sues Boat’s Owner
Of the 34 victims of the Conception dive boat fire, nearly all were passengers participating in a diving adventure. In fact, just 5 people survived, all of whom were crew members aboard the vessel. At least one of those surviving crew members is now suing the boat’s owner. NBC Los Angeles reports that crew member…
Read MoreTypes of Compensation Santa Barbara DA’s Office May Provide to Conception Boat Fire Victims’ Survivors
As the California Victim Compensation Board (CVCB) gears up to assist survivors of the victims of the Conception diving boat fire, many people are wondering what kinds of compensation the program will provide. This blog will provide information as to what kinds of compensation can and cannot be paid by the CVCB. It is worth…
Read MoreMore Information about Compensation for Survivors of Conception Boat Fire
Yesterday we blogged that the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office had been put in charge of processing claims for compensation from survivors of the deadly Conception boat fire. More details about the program are emerging. VCStar.com reports that the California Victim Compensation Board named the Santa Barbara DA’s Office’s Victim Witness Program as the agency…
Read MoreMiami Attorney Jack Hickey Recognized as “Best Lawyers 2020”
John H. (Jack) Hickey has an excellent reputation not only among his clients but his peers. After spending 17 years representing cruise lines and other self-insured corporations, he transitioned to representing injured victims of cruise ship accidents, auto accidents, medical malpractice, and other incidents. Over the past 19 years, our Miami attorney has recovered over…
Read MoreSanta Barbara County DA to Help Conception Boat Fire Victims’ Families
Two weeks after the Conception boat fire, which killed 34 people off the coast of California, authorities have put the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office in charge of helping the victims’ families. KSBY News reports that the DA’s office will be in charge of various aspects of the aftermath, including helping with funeral costs and…
Read MoreConception Moved to Navy Base for Further Study into Cause of Deadly Fire
As authorities conduct both safety and criminal probes into the deadly fire that killed 34 people aboard the California dive boat Conception earlier this month, the vessel has been transferred to a Southern California Navy base for further study. MSN.com reports that the Conception was transferred to Port Hueneme on Friday morning. The NTSB is…
Read MoreOfficials Investigate the Cause of Tragic California Ship Fire
Over Labor Day weekend, the state of California saw one of the deadliest maritime incidents in the state’s history. A group of several dozen people was killed as they sailed on the Conception, a ship which was carrying the group on a sightseeing tour of the Channel Islands. On the morning of Monday, September 2…
Read MoreMaritime Injury Attorney Jack Hickey Issues Statement on California Boat Fire that Killed 34
This is a boating case governed by the general maritime law of the United States. The owners have now rushed into Federal Court and have filed a limitation proceeding, a case under an antiquated 1851 Federal Statute, the Limitation of Liability Act, which if applicable would limit the liability of the owner to the value…
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