Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
The American offshore industry is no stranger to aging vessels. Experts say that vessels are going to start retiring faster than the rate they can be replaced. Because of this, it’s fair to assume that many older vessels will be at sea for longer than they should be. Not only are aging ships an economic setback, but they also pose a risk to maritime workers. Offshore workers who are employed on ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Recently, two incidents involving storms and offshore work have grabbed headlines. The first incident occurred last fall when the Deepwater Asgard was left in the path of a hurricane despite pleas from the crew and warnings from weather experts. The incident was harrowing and resulted in an experience that some of the crew members will forever be traumatized by. The second incident resulted in ...
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It has been well over a year since the cargo ship El Faro sank en route to Puerto Rico after getting caught in Hurricane Joaquin. The ship went down on October 1, 2015, leaving all 33 crew members missing and presumed dead—and leaving their families to wonder what happened. Jacksonivlle.com offers an update on ordeal for the surviving families. Tote Services Inc. and Tote Maritime Puerto Rico—the ...
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In a troubling news story, NBC is reporting that the Isla Bella, the El Faro’s replacement, may sail into Hurricane Matthew and face waves up to 20 feet tall. TOTE Maritime spoke with NBC, citing that it will be the captain’s responsibility to decide whether the ship remains in port at Puerto Rico or makes the three-day journey to Jacksonville. The company’s official statement said the following: ...
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In a recent article on Jacksonville.com, on the 1-year anniversary of the El Faro tragedy, the Florida Times-Union took a look at the El Faro investigation, its progress, and the fact that there may still be some time before the families (including our clients) get answers about what happened that stormy night on October 1st. Thankfully, there has still been progress. If you remember, early last ...
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TOTE has reached settlements with four more families connected to the sunken cargo ship, El Faro. Last October, 33 crew members were killed when the vessel sunk after losing propulsion in Hurricane Joaquin. During hearings it was discovered that the ship owners, TOTE, knew about the storm, the ship’s past engine problems, and had alternative routes that the cargo ship could have taken to avoid the ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
The initial public hearings for the investigation of the El Faro cargo ship disaster wrapped up on Friday, February 26. Arnold & Itkin is representing the families of four crew members who were among the 33 people killed when the ship sank during a hurricane last year. Over the past two weeks, the Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation heard testimony regarding the disaster and the events ...
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Today’s blog is an update on the story we posted on Tuesday. Read our previous blog for the whole story. Tuesday’s Marine Board hearing centered on Philip Morrell, vice president of marine operations at TOTE. The Coast Guard panelists questioned Morrell for nearly 8 hours about the chain of command. Their line of questioning honed in on the number of emails exchanged Captain Michael Davidson and ...
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The U.S. Coast Guard has launched public hearings into the El Faro tragedy, which led to the death of all 33 crew members on board last October after the large vessel sank near the Bahamas. The hearings are intended to help the U.S. Coast Guard gather more information as to why the El Faro sank, who was responsible for the final decisions, and if any missteps led to the tragedy. Attorney Jason ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
On Tuesday, November 3, our Jones Act and maritime lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP filed our second lawsuit for the tragic sinking of the El Faro. In this case, we are representing Patrick John Smith who is the son of Howard John Schoenly—one of the thirty-three men and women who lost their lives in this horrific offshore accident. TOTE Files to Limit Their Liability Last week, TOTE Maritime (the ...
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The team on the USNS Apache has discovered wreckage of a vessel that is mostly likely the cargo ship that went missing last month during Hurricane Joaquin. The National Transportation Safety Board is still gathering evidence and will soon be using CURV 21, a remotely operated underwater vehicle equipped with video to survey the wreckage and confirm that it is the El Faro. The wreckage was ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
On October 28, Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, and Cory Itkin of Arnold & Itkin filed suit in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida for the sinking of the El Faro cargo ship. Their suit was filed on behalf of the estate of Anthony Shawn Thomas, one of the victims aboard the ship. Thomas left behind a wife and five children. El Faro’s Voyage In the complaint, it is alleged that the El Faro ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
On Monday, October 5, the owner of El Faro, the ship that was lost during Hurricane Joaquin, announced that the vessel had been undergoing engine room work that was previously undisclosed. At a press conference, offices from Tote Inc., the ship owner, stated that an unspecified engine room had been receiving work from a repair crew as part of conversion work before being moved. The President of ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
El Faro, a cargo ship carrying 28 Americans, went missing during Hurricane Joaquin; it was last heard from at approximately 7:20 a.m. on Thursday. At that time, the El Faro had sent a distress call that it was taking on water after losing power. It is believed that ship lost propulsion and was listing at 15 degrees. The El Faro was a 735-foot vessel traveling from Jacksonville, FL to San Juan in ...
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