U.S. Consultant John Garamendi (D-CA-08), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, has launched a brand new invoice aiming to reinforce accountability and monetary accountability for overseas vessel house owners concerned in maritime accidents on U.S. waters.
The laws is available in response to the March 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by the M/V Dali containership. The incident resulted within the deaths of six employees who had been on the bridge on the time and closed entry to the Port of Baltimore for months.
The invoice, often called the “Justice for Victims of International Vessel Accidents Act” (H.R.9348), was introducedalongside U.S. Consultant Hank Johnson (D-GA-04).
“If the overseas house owners of the cargo vessel that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore suppose they will go away American taxpayers holding the bag, I’ve a message for them: you broke it, to procure it,” mentioned Garamendi. “Entry to America’s ports and our shoppers is a privilege, not a proper. If the overseas house owners of the Dali need to hold that privilege, they will get away their checkbooks, name their insurance coverage firm, and pay their justifiable share of the bridge alternative prices and compensation to the households of the six employees who died tragically that day.”
Underneath present U.S. legislation, particularly the Limitation of Legal responsibility Act of 1851, vessel house owners can restrict their authorized legal responsibility for damages to the greenback worth of the vessel and its cargo, minus bills.
Following the collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Dali’s Singapore-based company proprietor and vessel supervisor filed collectively within the U.S. District Court docket for Maryland to restrict their complete legal responsibility for the bridge collapse and restoration effort to simply $43.7 million, valuing the vessel at $90 million
The “Justice for Victims of International Vessel Accidents Act” proposes to extend legal responsibility for foreign-flagged vessels to as much as 10 instances the vessel and cargo’s worth, keep present legal responsibility for U.S.-flagged vessels, and apply the brand new legal responsibility retroactively to March 25, 2024.
“This can be a essential step towards making certain accountability in maritime legal responsibility. By enhancing the monetary duties of overseas vessel house owners, this invoice supplies important help to victims and their households in reinforcing our resolve to uphold justice following tragic maritime incidents,” mentioned Johnson.
The invoice has additionally garnered robust help from the households of the victims’ within the catastrophe.
“The households of the harmless victims of the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse strongly help the Justice for Victims of International Vessel Accidents Act. This laws protects all People from having their lives shattered by company vessels from overseas international locations because of preventable failures. This difficulty just isn’t about whether or not you’re a Democrat or a Republican; it’s about whether or not you’re keen on and need to defend People. That’s the reason each events ought to help this invoice and assist defend our nation when overseas vessels are concerned,” the households’ authorized representatives mentioned in an announcement.
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