Don’t Settle For Less

Don’t Settle For Less

Deadly Boating Accident in New York Caused by Crew Fatigue

On Behalf of | Jun 16, 2017 | Boating Accident

The NTSB has released a much-awaited report concerning a deadly boating accident in the Hudson River in 2016. The crash occurred when one of the three tugboats pulling a 90-foot barge collided with construction equipment near the Tappan Zee Bridge. The collision left three people dead and family members struggling to find a reason for this seemingly avoidable crash.

The federal investigative report explicitly states that the tugs were inadequately manned and that the crew was suffering from severe fatigue (from overwork) at the time of the crash. Specifically, crew members aboard the Specialist (the boat which struck the construction barge) had not received more than four or five hours of uninterrupted sleep in the three days prior to the deadly boat accident in New York City.

The report goes on to state that poor weather and strong currents contributed to the crash but it’s more likely that had the crew been fresh and rested they would have been in a better position to avoid the collision which claimed the life of three of their shipmates.

With this official conclusion, the NTSB’s report has given family members the much-needed ammunition they need to bring a successful lawsuit against the company which operated the tugboats at the time of the fatal boat crash in the Hudson River. By pressing the crew too hard, according to the NTSB, the company created detrimental conditions which turned deadly.

This disregard for the crew’s safety clearly shifts the legal liability for their deaths to the company overseeing the operation of the craft. Similar lawsuits have resulted in favorable settlements and verdicts for the surviving family members of victims of boating accidents in New York in the past.

If you’ve been injured in a crash on any of New York’s waterways, contact an experienced New York City boat accident attorney immediately.

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