The bulk carrier GIULIA I was struck by rough weather on January 26, 2021. At the time, the vessel was en route from Norfolk Virginia, on Jan 26, bound for Bizerte, Tunisia. During rough weather, the vessel was struck by a large wave. During the incident, one crew member tragically lost his life, and three others were injured. All crew members on the vessel are believed to be Filipino. Our thoughts and prayers fo out to those impacted by this incident. The vessel is operated by Ireland’s D’Amico Dry DAC. The registered owner is VSL Dry Bulk Ltd.
There have been a number of recent incidents involving vessels. The cargo ship Xin Hong capsized off the coast of Vietnam on December 17, 2020, with 15 sailors on board. The fishing vessel Onega sank while in the Barents Sea on December 28, 2020. The Chinese cargo ship DINGHAOJI7 sank on December 31, 2020, with 13 crew on board. On January 16, 2021, a small vessel sank in Alabama, resulting in at least one death. On January 17, 2021, the Ukrainian cargo ship Arvin sank with 13 crew members on board. Also on January 17, the supply ship Mermaid Challenger sank northeast of Borneo with 7 crew members on board. On January 20, 2021, the general cargo ship SATYA BERJAYA sank while in the Java Sea. The container ship Tanto Bersinar collided with the Tug Mitra Jaya XIX on January 23, 2021. A worker on board a barge owned by Zito Fleeting fell overboard on January 26, 2021, when the vessel was in the Lower Mississippi River near Jefferson Heights in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
It can be dangerous to work in any profession when safety considerations related to dangerous weather conditions are not made. This is especially so when working on a vessel. Safe cargo companies must ensure that their ships do not put the lives of their crew members at risk. The risks of catastrophic death as a result of sailing into dangerous weather conditions such as a hurricane or typhoon must always be taken into account by safe maritime companies. When employers fail to account for dangerous weather conditions, catastrophic incidents can result. It is unknown if the Master of the vessel simply disregarded the dangerous weather, or miscalculated the path of his ship. The unfortunate reality is that many maritime companies cut corners, which puts the lives of their workers and the general public at risk on a daily basis. Safe boat owners and operators must have adequate procedures in place to govern the work performed by the crew to ensure the safety of everyone on board.
Our experienced lawyers handle maritime personal injury and wrongful death litigation of all kinds and the skills needed to represent the families of loved ones who have lost their lives or those who have been seriously injured as a result of the negligence of another party. The lawyers of Spagnoletti Law Firm have handled maritime lawsuits throughout the country. Our attorneys have extensive experience in maritime injury and death cases involving cargo ships.
The experienced and aggressive vessel accident attorneys at Spagnoletti Law Firm can help you understand your rights if you or a loved one was a victim of this tragic accident. There are strict and short time limits on making claims related to vessel accidents, so please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or 877-678-5864 to learn more about your rights.