A federal judge has set a deadline for damage claims filed by relatives of crewmembers who were lost aboard a cargo ship that sank last month in Hurricane Joaquin.
U.S. District Court Judge Harvey Schlesinger set Dec. 21 as the deadline after the vessel’s owner requested limited liability in the case.
Tote Maritime, the ship’s owner, is also seeking to cap damages at about $15 million.
The vessel El Faro sank Oct. 1 after losing engine power and getting caught in Hurricane Joaquin while sailing from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
At least six lawsuits have been filed by crewmembers’ families seeking millions in damages.
Kurt Arnold, an attorney representing two of the crewmembers’ families, said they will challenge Tote’s limited liability claims.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast: 11-16 Named Storms 
Jury Finds New Orleans Attorneys Guilty in Staged Auto Accident Scheme 
Meta Loses Insurance for Defense in Major Social Media Addiction Litigation 
Lawsuit Alleges Microbetting Product by DraftKings, FanDuel, NFL Leads to Addiction 
