Last week — more than two months after the COSTA CONCORDIA struck a reef and capsized off the coast of Italy — efforts to recover the bodies of all who were killed in this tragic cruise ship accident continued.

On March 22, divers found three bodies situated between the ship’s hull and the seabed, finding two more bodies later that same day. This discovery brought the official death toll to 30 people, plus two people who are still missing and presumed dead.

The five bodies discovered on March 22 were successfully recovered from the wreckage last Monday. Recovery efforts started Monday morning and reportedly involved 34 divers and 15 vessels. Details about the victims’ identities were not released.

Captain Francesco Schettino has admitted to authorities that he took the COSTA CONCORDIA too close to land. He stands accused of not only causing the shipwreck, but also abandoning the ship before all 4,200 passengers and crewmembers were evacuated.

In a cruise accident case, the passenger ticket governs when and where claims can be filed. If accident victims do not follow certain protocols or if they wait too long to take action, they may not be able to recover from the cruise line.

A maritime attorney not only has the knowledge and experience necessary to identify the proper venue and applicable statute of limitations in a cruise accident case, lawyers dedicated to this distinct branch of law also understand the complexities of national and international maritime statutes as well as how various maritime laws intersect.

Do you have a potential claim against Costa Cruises and its parent corporation Carnival Cruise Lines? Contact a Boston maritime attorney today to learn about your legal rights.

Latti & Anderson LLP –Boston maritime trial lawyers