There are also potential causes of action against the component manufacturers to the extent it can be proven that they played a part in the failure of this vessel. And it’s under the jurisdiction of the Death on the High Seas Act, which provides for remedies when there is death of either crew or passengers on navigable waterways. … It’s under the jurisdiction of the maritime law of the United States. This company is an American-based company. I think there’s no question that the owners and operators of the vessel are liable to the survivors. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.ĭo you think it’s possible that the submersible company could face some legal consequences here? Here’s how Shaffer projects a legal fight could go. Shaffer says that the families could sue OceanGate, as well as others involved in the construction of the lost craft - and the financial damages could be huge given that Harding and Dawood were billionaires. The Coast Guard indicated Thursday that the search for the debris of the submersible will be difficult given the unforgiving environment on the seafloor and made no commitment to its recovery.įor the victims’ families, the fight may not end there. “If it’s just going to be so dangerous that it’s going to put so many more people and equipment at risk, they probably won’t do it.” “The recovery of any remains is going to be dictated by just the sheer risk to human life and to property,” said Matt Shaffer, a maritime injury lawyer who has represented victims of several major maritime disasters, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion. Their efforts to recover the submersible may halt now that it seems that human life is no longer at stake, though it’s possible private efforts to do so could continue. 9 questions about the missing Titanic submersible, answeredĪ coalition of international authorities, including the US and Canadian coast guards and navies, have contributed to the multi-day search effort.
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