May 2015 - Παυλάκης - Μόσχος

On 22 May 2015 a preliminary session, part of the criminal proceedings for the fire onboard the NORMAN ATLANTIC, has been held in Bari, presided by the competent Italian Judge, Dr.ssa Piliego. During this session (a) the victims/passengers and bereaved families have been officially announced, as represented by their proxy lawyers, (b) the technical experts have been appointed and (c) they have been assigned with specific questions that have to be answered in the technical report on the causes and circumstances of the incident. Our team of lawyers has been present and participated with both Greek and Italian representatives in the court session and we have officially appointed our technical experts, who were also present from Italy and Norway. We have successfully suggested further issues to be assigned on the court experts. The Judge ordered that the technical experts board the vessel for the first time on the 11th June for on-site investigation. In preparation for this, the stern door/ramp will be unlocked by a company selected by the Judge starting from Monday the 25^th of May. Our technical experts will participate at the 11^th June session (and following days). Until that date the ship will remain in the port of Bari in the same exact conditions as it is since it arrived towed from Brindisi and as it remains since the accident.

There are indications that a number of vehicles stored in the lower garages of the ship (1 and 2) may have not sustained considerable damage. When the lower garages will be opened, which will happen later, in the course of the investigation by the court’s experts, these cars will have to be technically examined, before decisions can be made whether they are usable or not and whether their owners will decide to accept them back or treat them as total losses. Our team of lawyers has already selected one expert to serve such needs as soon as it will be permitted either by the Judge and by environmental situation.

Any news and statements recently spread in the press or on the internet that cars have been already removed and are stored in the port of Bari, which caused great anxiety between our principals, are completely false and we wonder what purpose they were serving. All cars and trucks, burnt or not, are in the ship, as they have been since the fire.

Lawyers from our office are since 21/05/2015 in Bari, Italy and attend, on behalf of the passengers and families of missing passengers of NORMAN ATLANTIC represented by our office, the process of official appointment of the technical experts of the Italian investigation authorities who will perform the autopsy and investigation on the causes and circumstances of the marine casualty as well as of appointment of our technical advisers on behalf of our clients. Simultaneously there are meetings and discussions with the Prosecutor of Bari and the competent Italian investigating authorities on the next steps regarding the process of entering the ship and investigating the causes of the fire and the maritime tragedy.

The Port Authorities of Bari provided the list of vehicles which are in the lower garage decks (levels 1 & 2), most of which have been reported as not having been damaged by the fire (the list is available here NORMAN ATLANTIC – VEHICLES – PONTE 1 & 2 Capitaneria Di Porto Di Bari – NORMAN ATLANTIC VEHICLES). These vehicles are expected to be moved out of NORMAN ATLANTIC after the investigators enter the upper garage decks and most likely after the burnt and destroyed vehicles have been removed from the other decks. In order to ensure that our clients’ rights are fully protected, before the initiation of any proceedings for the receipt and delivery of their vehicles, special technical advisors appointed by us will examine our clients’ vehicles for possible latent damages from the accident and their long stay on the carcass of the ship. Most vehicles at the upper garage decks of the ship (levels 3, 4 and 5), as it has already been revealed, are regarded as total loss.

NORMAN ATLANTIC: On June 11 2015 the experts appointed by the Judge will board the Norman Atlantic and start the on-site investigation

NORMAN ATLANTIC: Oath of Surveyors – Commencement of Technical Investigation – Status of Vehicles on Board