MARITIME INJURIES AND THE HAMM ALERT

When El Faro, a commercial shipping vessel, left Jacksonville heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 30, 2015, no one knew it would never return. The El Faro drove into the path of Hurricane Joaquin and sank in the Bermuda Triangle taking with it 33 crew members. There were no survivors. When the storm…

The cargo ship El Faro left Jacksonville on September 29 for a routine trip to Puerto Rico, carrying nearly 400 shipping containers and another 300 automobile trailers. Two days later, contact with the ship was lost as Hurricane Joaquin slammed the Caribbean with winds over 130 mph. In the last communication from the ship, the…

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA) was less than thrilled with the response he received to a letter that he sent to global cruise company Carnival Corporation. Rockefeller asked if Carnival was planning to reimburse some $4.2 million the Coast Guard and Navy spent rescuing the crippled Carnival Triumph in February and the Carnival Splendor in 2010….

A stomach virus sickened nearly 100 passengers on a Princess Cruise Line that docked in Miami where another ship contained passengers who also complained of gastrointestinal illness. In all, TBO.com reports 92 passengers and 13 crew on the Ruby Princess were affected by stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. The ship returned to South Florida on…

Easter Sunday, April 24, a 14-year-old teenager’s leg was partially amputated during a jet ski accident on Lake Gibson in Lakeland. Bay News 9 reports two teenage girls, ages 14 and 15, were on WaveRunners driving side by side when one of the teens turned into the side of the other watercraft and right over…

Passengers traveling on one cruise line have a refund coming thanks to Florida’s Attorney General. Bill McCollum filed a lawsuit this week against Imperial Majesty Cruise Line. The company is alleged to have added a fuel surcharge of $20 to $30 secretly onto customers’ bills. Most people thought these were government fees. Many customers complained…