Posted on 07/31/2018 6:41:26 AM PDT by golux
...The boats, modeled on the amphibious landing craft used in the D-Day invasion, have a checkered history including more than three dozen fatalities on water and land, including the Branson sinking, according to the complaint.
“This tragedy was the predictable and predicted result of decades of unacceptable, greed-driven, and willful ignorance of safety by the Duck Boat industry in the face of specific and repeated warnings that their Duck Boats are death traps for passengers and pose grave danger to the public on water and on land,” the complaint said.
Robert Mongeluzzi, an attorney for the families, told a news conference, “The quest for justice includes doing everything within our power to ban duck boats once and for all,” according to a statement.
Mongeluzzi represented the families of two people killed when a duck boat crashed into a barge and sank in Philadelphia in 2010, winning a $17 million settlement.
Seven other members of Coleman and Ly’s families were killed in the incident, and Mongeluzzi’s law firm said in the statement that its lawyers plan to file lawsuits on behalf of other victims.
Ripley Entertainment declined comment on the lawsuit, but said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident.
The suit alleges that Ride the Ducks endangered passengers by letting the boat out onto the water after the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area, and that passengers were not told to put on life jackets. It also cites a 2017 report from a private inspector who concluded that duck boats were prone to engine failure in bad weather...
(Excerpt) Read more at gcaptain.com ...
“we need to ban thunderstorms”
And lakes!
“All duck boats used for public rides ought to have poppable tops. “
Sure, but they don’t.
Wonder if they’re running at Stone Mountain where their environment was so much more benign.
“Already having your life jacket on would allow for you to work on escaping from the duck boat as soon as needed”
No, it doesn’t. It gets in the way. Just like you don’t inflate your life preserver in an airplane. You get stuck.
Generally I hate lawyers, but they have a case on this one.
Ridiculous to run those things during a thunderstorm. Pure greed. The owners of this company should do hard time in a state prison.
“This is why we can’t have nice things.”
You mean nice things like having your entire family killed because of incompetence?
That’s it! That’s the determining factor. Duck boats are, by design, stupid IMO but NO one is talking about the JUDGEMENT of the 73? year old driver! HE was the deciding factor here and-IMO- his age and mental state. Anyone talking about that?
About a dozen grade school students were nearly killed on the last duck boat tour I took, in Philadelphia.
The driver had handed out these damn whistles as the jids boarded the boat.
But I managed to control myself.
>>Ridiculous to run those things during a thunderstorm. Pure greed. <<
The reports are clear: When the duck entered the water the lake ws calm. The whitecaps started inside of 5 minutes and the duck started going back.
This was a freak squall that could NOT be avoided.
You must be from California. I was born and raised there and I, too, did not understand instant weather until I started traveling and experienced it first hand.
A popular summer tourist area, the Wisconsin Dells, has had duck boat rides for 60+ years without a fatality. the duck boats go down the Wisconsin River along the scenic bluffs and rock formations. Banning all duck boats due to this tragic event is an over reaction.
>>You mean nice things like having your entire family killed because of incompetence?<<
What incompetence?
Please tell us what you know that has not been reported in the hundreds of reports and eyewitness accounts.
LOL..........
I have been on a duck boat only once, but a lasting memory was how poor was their maneuverability. We went out into a glacial lagoon with icebergs floating all around and the tour operator sent out a small boat to travel with the anphib because it was needed to turn the duck boat in tight quarters. It appeared to be standard procedure.
“What incompetence?”
Their electing not to comply with NTSB recommendations regarding the canopy.
incompetence
***************
Well ...........
Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths
a day. An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled.
I hope for all this money he can purchase a new family. It is so stupid to reward victims with other peoples money.
This was not a freak squall. It was accurately forecast — hours in advance of when it hit. NWS tracked the squall line and predicted exactly what happened. It was gross negligence on the part of the boat operator not to monitor weather forecasts and radar. The Branson deaths could all have been avoided with safety precautions that are standard for any boat owner.
“Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths
a day. An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled.”
Not entirely in this country.
However, often times, there are lawsuits resulting from these crashes.
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