Long after the actual events of specific marine disasters, the effects can leave damages and extensive legal processes to work through, even with proper boat insurance coverage in place. Last January, the cruise ship known as the Costa Concordia was ran aground of some deadly rocks on the coast of a Tuscan island. Now, more than a year later, the captain of that vessel has been brought to trial to answer for this catastrophe.
According to the L.A. Times, the trial is being conducted in Grosseto, Italy and centered around former captain Francesco Schettino, the man charged with causing the wreck, resulting in massive damage to the hull and the deaths of more than 30 passengers and employees.Though Schettino has pleaded not guilty and even pursued a plea bargain, there appears to be several counts against him claiming negligence, deliberate endangerment, and abandoning the ship, which Schettino has denied.
Meanwhile, the salvage operation is reportedly still underway—a mammoth undertaking considering the immense size and weight of the vessel. According to its official site, the so-called "Parbuckling" project to recover the craft is utilizing 30 different additional vessels around the clock to bring this situation to its conclusion, with the main project of rotating the boat still to come.
The various procedures of reconstruction, assigning of blame and other investigations can be foreign to those who have no prior experience with events of this nature. Proper craft and marine crew insurance may require extensive assessment, but it can be vital in situations where liability must be assessed.