Legal Claims Proliferate in Wake of Staten Island Ferry Crash

Some 40 legal claims have been filed against the city of New York in the wake of last month's Staten Island ferry accident. The notices of claim, which notify the city of an intention to file lawsuits, seek a total of about $1.3 billion in compensation on grounds ranging from wrongful death to emotional trauma. Several law firms advertised for clients in the wake of the crash, despite an advisory from the New York State Bar Association two days after the accident.

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Some 40 legal claims have been filed against the city of New York in the wake of last month’s Staten Island ferry accident. The notices of claim, which notify the city of an intention to file lawsuits, seek a total of about $1.3 billion in compensation on grounds ranging from wrongful death to emotional trauma. “We’re being diligent and we’re being aggressive,” Anthony Bisignano, a lawyer whose firm has filed 20 notices of claim related to the accident. Several law firms advertised for clients in the wake of the crash, despite an advisory from the New York State Bar Association two days after the accident asking lawyers not to solicit ferry-related cases. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of lawyers’ ads in 1977, but some legal experts criticized the ferry ads. “Personally, I wish lawyers were never allowed to advertise; that’s where I stand on this,” Norman Reimer, vice president of the New York County Lawyers Association, told The New York Times. The ferry, carrying around 1,500 passengers from lower Manhattan to Staten Island, veered off course and slammed into a pier at full throttle Oct. 15, killing 10 people and injuring dozens. Investigators suspect ferry captain Michael Gansas may have failed to properly supervise boat pilot Richard Smith, who apparently passed out at the controls before the wreck. Smith attempted suicide shortly after the crash. Some passengers had their limbs severed, including one man who lost his legs but was kept alive with the help of a visiting British nurse. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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