TOTE Maritime Settles Remaining El Faro Suits

NTSB The remaining families of the 33 El Faro victims have reached settlements with the cargo ships owner, TOTE Maritime, local media informed citing US court documents. With the latest settlements, reached with the families for an undisclosed sum, the company settled all 33 wrongful death suits some year and a half after the ill-fated vessel sank near the Bahamas when it sailed into the Hurricane Joaquin. Since the tragedy, which occurred on October 1, 2015, TOTE Maritime has been settling with the families of the vessel crew of 28 US citizens and five Polish nationals. By mid-2016 the company settled a total of 21 of the 33 wrongful death claims, with ten of them reached in January, four in March, four more in April and three in June 2016. Each of the earlier settlements reached with the families included USD 500,000 in pre-death pain and suffering damages, as well as an undisclosed amount for economic and other losses. World Maritime News Staff