How can Costa deny liability?

Costa Cruise Lines have been slammed this week for publicly denying all allegations of wrong doing in the largest loss of life in cruise ship history since the Titanic.

Costa Concordia

On the 13th January 2012 Costa Concordia capsized in the hands of her Captain, Francesco Schettino, with 4000 passengers and crew on board. 32 people lost their lives and their families are having to live with the knowledge that no one has accepted responsibility!

During the recent court case several points were raised including a lack of training of crew and a complete meltdown in communication from the top.

Having worked at sea several years ago and being involved in several incidents including an engine fire where the ships crew and passengers were sent to boats, which is one step from abandoning ship, I believe that I have some knowledge of emergency situations.  The incident that I was involved in happened some twenty years ago whilst I was working as a Junior Bar Stewardess with Princess Cruises on the Pacific Princess.

It was an extremely scary situation as we lost complete power on the ship and we were plunged into eerie darkness, plus the acirid smell of burning could be clearly smelt as we rushed to our emergency positions. What I can say is that at no point was there any panic as our Captain, Captain Stephen Townsend, was old school and kept us informed in his British clipped accent throughout the event and was always in total control of the situation and crew.

Costa surely has to admit responsibility of their Captain who caused the accident by sailing too close to the Island of Giglio as he was their employee! It appears not as they have distanced themselves from him entirely and deny all liability.

Several British survivors have filed a lawsuit and successfully won undisclosed amounts from Costa and the cruise line is now being pursued by several Italian survivors.

Francesco Schettino

Costa Concordia is currently in Genoa where it is being dismantled/scrapped for the pricely sum of 100 million euros! Meanwhile Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison but is currently free appending appeal which will take place in 2016.