Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Owners Of Burned California Diving Boat Use Titanic Disaster As Precedent For Why They Don't Owe Victims' Families

Owners Of Burned California Diving Boat Use Titanic Disaster As Precedent For Why They Don't Owe Victims' Families
Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images

Tragedy struck Southern California this past Labor Day weekend after Conception—a 75 foot diving boat owned by the company Truth Aquatics—caught fire, killing 34 civilians and crew members.

Now, Truth Aquatics owners Glen and Dana Fritzier are arguing in court that they owe no financial restitution to the survivors or the families of the victims, and they're using an over 150-year-old statute to do so.


Enacted when sailing was much more perilous, the Shipowner's Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 said that ship owners can only pay up to a ship's value in restitution to victims in the case of an accident. Because Conception wasn't salvageable, the Fritziers are arguing that the ship's value is $0, and that they're subsequently obligated to pay nothing.

The defense is often used in nautical accidents, most notably by the White Star Line after the Titanic tragedy in April of 1912.

As a result of the Limitation of Liability Act, White Star Line was only obligated to pay up to the value of whatever didn't go down with the ship, which in Titanic's case was the lifeboats. Over 1500 passengers died on the ship after operators were ordered to sail at top speed, subsequently hitting an iceberg at night.

Giphy

While investigation into the Conception fire is still underway, some safety concerns have reportedly already been found.

With communications more streamlined and fatal sailing accidents more rare than in 1851, people are saying that the Limitation of Liability Act is outdated.

Giphy

And maybe it's time to reevaluate its relevance.



Though many factors affect who will be held liable, some are calling for the owners to pay some sort of restitution.



Litigation regarding the tragedy is expected to continue for some time.

-----


Listen to the first three episodes of George Takei's podcast, 'Oh Myyy Pod!', where we explore the racially charged videos that have taken the internet by storm.

Be sure to subscribe here and never miss an episode.

More from Trending

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less