Class Action Lawsuit Filed in Florida on Behalf of COSTA CONCORDIA Survivors

Last Tuesday, a New York personal injury attorney announced the filing of a $460 million class action lawsuit in Florida on behalf of more than 500 passengers who survived the COSTA CONCORDIA disaster. Despite Costa’s ties to Florida, according to Boston maritime trial lawyer Carolyn Latti, it is unlikely this class action lawsuit will make it very far in U.S. courts.

Passenger tickets for the ill-fated COSTA CONCORDIA stipulate that lawsuits must be filed in Italy. According to Latti, “U.S. courts have upheld the validity of cruise line’s passenger tickets when determining where lawsuits should be filed, making an Italian courtroom the appropriate venue for claims related to the COSTA CONCORDIA tragedy.” The attorney who filed the class action case has himself acknowledged that Florida courts may not accept the lawsuit due to the passenger ticket terms.

This lawsuit comes on the heels of a compensation offer by Costa Cruises to pay uninjured survivors approximately $14,500. As Latti points out, “Even though a Florida courtroom is not the proper venue for it, the filing of this class action suit does send a strong message to Costa that survivors do not accept the insulting compensation offer for their terrifying experience of being aboard a cruise ship when it ran aground and capsized.” Latti believes COSTA CONCORDIA survivors are entitled to fair and just compensation for the traumatic ordeal they endured, which the cruise line has failed to offer at this point. If you are a survivor of this maritime disaster or your loved one was killed or is missing, contact Latti & Anderson LLP today to learn about filing a claim where it will have the most force.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Boston maritime attorneys