37 Lawsuits Filed In New York Ferry Crash

There have been 37 lawsuits filed regarding a high-speed ferry crash  in New York that injured dozens of people on Jan. 9. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damage, and the company is seeking limited liability.

The accident involved a high-speed ferry that crashed into a pier near Wall Street during the morning rush hour. According to some of the passengers on the ferry, there seemed to be nothing abnormal about the ride, and the Seastreak Wall Street was sailing along until it suddenly hit something. Passengers reported a sudden, strong impact. Several of the passengers were injured seriously and had to be taken to the hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that its investigators are currently gathering information about the accident.

At the time of the crash, there were 307 people on ferry which is operated by Seastreak. The reason for the large number of injuries seems to be that many of the passengers had already queued up to prepare to disembark from the ferry, as it approached the dock. When the boat crashed, many of the passengers lost their balance, and fell.

New York City has a troubling history of ferry accidents, the most serious one in October 2003, involving a Staten Island ferry that crashed into a pier, killing 11 people. That accident was linked to a pilot who had lost consciousness at the controls, under the effect of painkillers. The same ferry was once again linked to another crash in 2010, this one injuring nearly 40 passengers.

The maritime lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent persons injured in ferry and boat accidents across Texas.