The Italian company that owns the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia has now offered passengers 11,000 euros (£9,000) each in compensation following negotiations with several Italian consumer groups. They have also promised to refund medical and transport expenses, along with the cost of the cruise.
However, Italy’s Consumer Asssociation, ‘Codacons’ has apparently urged passengers not to accept the offer. Codacons along with two American law firms are in the process of filing a lawsuit against Costa Cruises on behalf of the passengers. It is anticipated they will be asking for at least $160,000 (£105,000) for each passenger who was on the ship.
Costa Cruises is owned by the US-based Carnival Group. The company has blamed the ship's captain for taking an unauthorised route which led to the ship hitting rocks off the coast of the Tuscan island of Giglio, with the result that at least 17 people have been killed. Over 4,200 were on board, with hundreds injured and some still missing.
Mitchell Proner, a lawyer with US firm Proner & Proner, commented: "Along with Codacons, we have formed an association and our firms are collectively going to be filing a suit in Miami on behalf of all the victims of the Costa Concordia disaster."
Mr Proner said claimants would be seeking compensation for continued medical care and loss of earnings in addition to the psychological effects suffered while trying to get off the ship. He also said that some of the claimants, currently numbered at 110, would seek two or three times the minimum claim, while in the worst cases, claimants could seek as much as 1m euros.
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