Latvian Operator faces a US$1.6m crew death case
Latvian Shipping could be hit for nearly $1.6m over claims that hyperthermia led to the death of an engineer onboard one of its tankers in the US two years ago.
Charges including gross negligence and breach of contract have been levelled against the owner in the “wrongful death” case involving the 33,100-dwt chemical carrierIndra (built 1994).
The widow of Vasilis Gerasimenko is suing Riga-based Latvian, manager LSC Shipmanagement and nominal owner Cape Wind Trading over the death at Corpus Christi in August 2008.
The suit, filed last year at a US federal court, alleges that the 51-year-old died from working in an over-heated engine room after the ship had docked at the Texan port, a report in Latvians Online claimed.
Larisa Gerasimenko is looking for up to $1.58m in total compensation for the tragedy.
Crew member Gerasimenko is said to have fallen ill shortly after working in heat over 70 degrees Celsius onboard the Liberia-flagged tanker. Within hours of being taken to hospital on 27 August he died with court papers indicating the cause of death as hyperthermia.
Latvian and the other defendants have denied any claims made against them.
Latvia Shipping is the beneficial owner of theIndra which is managed by LSC and nominally owned by Liberia-registered Cape Wind which has a listed address in Riga.
Source: Tradewinds