May 26, 2012
More than half the crew members of a Norfolk-based container ship that was at the center of a piracy drama off Somalia in April 2009 are seeking damages totaling nearly $50 million.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday that the lawsuits have been filed by 11 crew members aboard the Maersk Alabama. The five-day standoff ended when Navy SEALs killed three of Capt. Richard Phillips' captors.
While Phillips was hailed as a hero, his former crew members allege the New Englander's actions put them in grave danger when the ship sailed within about 250 miles of the African coast despite warnings to stay at least 600 miles offshore because of the threat of piracy.
The ship's owner and a contractor are named in the suits, filed in Norfolk and Alabama.
The comments sections of Newsplex.com are designed for thoughtful, intelligent conversation and debate. We want to hear from our viewers, but we only ask that you use your best judgment. E-mail is required, but will not be displayed with comment.
As a host Newsplex.com welcomes a wide spectrum of opinions. However this is a site that we host. We have a responsibility to all our readers to try to keep our comment section fair and decent. For that reason The Newsplex reserves the right to not post or to remove any comment.
If you have any ideas to improve the conversation or this section let us know. Send an e-mail to webmaster@newsplex.com.
powered by Disqus