There are times that all of us view government intrusion to be over reaching. The government is currently active in vaping and the regulation of plastics and while some are tired of the government interfering in these areas there are many who welcome it. Many safety enhancements have come about due to this involvement including seat belts, air bags and even warning on cigarette packages.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) set regulations several years ago in regards to boats like the Conception which caught fire and sank off the Central California coast killing 33 passengers and 1 crewman. When the fire started all but one crewman were asleep on the deck of the boat and no one was assigned the duty of night watchman. The legal requirement for a night watchman is to prevent situations like this. Night watchman are also important to alert approaching vessels of potential collisions.
Due to the deaths and potential violation of maritime law (a U.S. Coast Guard captain said the boat was required by its safety certificate to assign such a night watchman or “rover”) a criminal probe has been initiated. This has led investigators to look at the actual cause of the fire (possible lithium ion batteries on cell phone) and the violations of the law. The investigators have not been able to locate any mechanical or electrical issues with the vessel. The Coast Guard urged boat owners and captains in a safety bulletin to consider limiting use of lithium-ion batteries and chargers on board and to review escape routes and crew training. Initial reports from the NTSB suggest investigators are looking into the possibility that the fire was ignited by lithium devices or chargers in sleeping quarters and that passengers could not escape once flames were raging in the dark, cramped space.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when they refuse to follow the law. We help with serious issues that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth. We have almost 60 years of experience in our plaintiff’s only law firm. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We Can Help!
