Personal Injury Victim Updates: U.S. Coast Guard accident reports indiciate that the ferry that crashed into Pier 11 last Wednesday has been involved in several crashes and one maintenance overhaul prior to the accident.
As our firm as previously discussed in our posts, the Seastreak ferry has had its engine and propulsion system overhauled. Owners of the vessel paid Incat Crowther, a naval architecture company, to replace the ferry’s jet propulsion drives with a propeller system. The engine’s were sourced from a Michigan company.
The ferry, however, had been involved in several minor accidents prior to the overhaul. On Dec. 13 of 2006, Coast Guard inspectors found a foot-long crack in the vessel’s hull. According to an incident brief, the port engineer working for Seastreak told investigators “he did not feel the crack in the hull was of much significance.” The inspectors believed the crack was caused by crashing into something.
Similar to the malfunctioning of the controls on Wednesday according to the captain, a malfunction with the ferry’s controls occurred in 2009 while the ferry was docking at Manhattan’s pier. The malfunction resulted in a crash, causing a 2- to 3-foot tear to the starboard bow.
The ferry’s main power also failed during a trip in 2009, forcing the Seastreak Wall Street to rely on its backup control system to power the engines. The history of mechanical problems aboard the Seastreak Wall Street is particular relevance for victims of the crash looking to file claims and lawsuits.
If you believe you may have been subject to injury as a result of the crash, we invite you to contact our office for a consultation.
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