Crew member family files $100m lawsuit against owners of El Faro

Attorney Willie E. Gary, who will represent the family of one of the former crew members of the ill-fated cargo vessel, claims the ship was unseaworthy and that “somebody has to pay” for the 33 people lost in the wreck.     A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the family of one of the lost crew members of the TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico cargo ship El Faro, which was lost at sea and subsequently sank after sailing into Hurricane Joaquin Thursday, Oct. 1.
    The negligence and wrongful death lawsuit seeks $100 million and was filed on behalf of the estate of Lonnie Jordan.
    Attorney Willie E. Gary announced the lawsuit in a press conference outside the Duval County courthouse.
    Reuters said the negligence and wrongful death lawsuit names both the owners of the ship and its captain, who is among the 33 crew members who are presumed to have perished, as defendants, according to reports from news service Reuters.
    “We are here today to send a message to big business. We are here to send a message to those who are in the corporate world that place more emphasis on making profits than they do saving lives,” said Gary.
    He said the crew was “led to a tragic situation when they boarded a ship that was not seaworthy — there is no doubt about that. It should never have left the docks.”
    “These are some greedy people and as a result you have innocent men and women who should be going about their businesses on their jobs, with their families, with their kids, with their parents…but they re six feet under and somebody has to pay.”
    When reached for comment, TOTE told American Shipper it “will not discuss individual legal actions, out of respect for the legal process. Our focus remains on support and care for the families and their loved ones.”