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30th January 2012

Costa Concordia Cruise Ship Disaster

On Friday the 13th January the Costa Concordia Cruise ship struck rocks in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off the shore of Isola del Giglio, near the west coast of Italy.

The impact tore a long gash in the ship's hull which allowed water to flood in. The cruise liner managed to sail to nearby shallow water where she grounded and capsized.

The captain of the stricken cruise liner had sailed too close to the shore forcing all aboard to abandon ship.

The Costa Concordia was carrying around 3200 holidaymakers and 1000 staff.

32 people are feared to have died in tragedy

The confirmed death toll stands at 17 but a further 15 people are still missing.

The search for bodies inside the cruise liner has now been called off due to increasing dangers to the rescue crew.

The search will continue aboard the ship which is above water level, and specialist equipment will be used to scan for bodies on the sea floor.

Survivors offered compensation settlement

Costa Concordia's owner Costa Cruises has offered to pay 11,000 euros (£9200) in compensation to each surviving passenger.

In addition, Costa Cruises will refund the cost of the cruise and travel expenses home. The offer which has been put forward in a bid to prevent legal action applies to all passengers, whether a child or an adult, who suffered no physical injuries. Compensation for physically injured passengers and for families who have lost a loved one will be dealt with separately.

Those passengers accepting the compensation offer will be expected to agree to drop all future litigation against the cruise liner.

Martyn Gwyther, Thompsons Solicitors' National Supervisor for Overseas Accident Claims said: “Incidents such as this disaster are extremely rare today. Mistakes were clearly made and passengers and their families have paid the highest price. Anyone thinking of settling a possible claim should think carefully about the effect of the accident on them and their families. They should seek independent medical and legal advice as it is not uncommon for these type of incidents, even if there is no immediate physical injury to have a long term psychological impact.”

Compensation Claim Advice following a Boat or Ship Accident

If you or someone you know has suffered an injury whilst on a boat, ship, cruise liner or yacht, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for injury compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making an injury claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.

If your claim has to be pursued outside the Courts of England and Wales, we cannot guarantee a no cost service because different rules apply. Each case will be reviewed on its own merits and appropriate advice will be provided before any costs are incurred.

Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.

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