Judge rules SSA negligent in 2017 fast ferry crash
A federal court judge ruled in favor of passengers and workers who were injured when the IYANOUGH crashed into a 3,000-foot-long rock breakwater in Hyannisport. On behalf of its clients, Latti & Anderson LLP filed a motion in Federal Court seeking the Court to find that the Steamship Authority was negligent in the crash in order to avoid having to prove the Steamship’s Authority’s fault at trial a trial scheduled in the middle of December.
On December 4, 2020, the Court held that the Steamship Authority was negligent based on the fact that IYANOUGH struck a fixed object in which Capt. Riddar had passed at least 1,000 times. Judge Gorton held that “ if that is not per se negligence, I’ve never seen it in my career of 28 years on the bench”.
As a result of Judge Gorton’s finding of negligence, a damage trial will occur in the spring to determine the damages for the remaining injured parties that have not settled their claims. Latti & Anderson will continue its fight against the Steamship Authority in showing how the companies negligence caused permanent injuries to the passengers and workers as a result of the crash.