January 2016 - Παυλάκης - Μόσχος

ASBESTOS-MESOTHELIOMA-COMPENSATION AWARD TO OFFICER OF THE HELLENIC NAVY

In a case that has been successfully handled by our office, the Administrative First Instance Court of Athens awarded, by a recent decision, compensation for moral damages to a retired Officer of the Hellenic Navy, who sustained mesothelioma due to his extensive exposure to asbestos during his service on board several military ships in the capacity of engineer. It is the first award of this kind by a Greek court.

The Court ordered the Ministry of Defense, i.e. the Hellenic State, to compensate the retired Officer for the substantial moral damages that he has suffered due to the irreversible and incurable damage to his health. The Court held that the Hellenic Navy was liable because it failed to impose and make sure that all measures were taken to protect the health and lives of the officers and militants in general and did not arrange for the timely removal of the dangerous and harmful asbestos material from the military ships.

January 26, 2016/by Ioannis Pavlakis

News

Unloading of the Vehicles from the Norman Atlantic Continues

Unloading from decks/garages 3 and 4 of F/B NORMAN ATLANTIC continues at full speed. All vehicles on these garages are completely burnt, including the luggage inside them. The cars are being taken out of the ship by cranes, are transported to a storage area, from where they will be gradually taken for destruction/recycling.

Garages 1 and 2, where the vehicles are said not to be destroyed by the fire, will follow. However, the fact that these vehicles have remained under extremely adverse conditions for more than a year (high temperatures, humidity and water, chemical substances etc.), has undoubtedly drastically affected them; they should be treated as constructive total losses and have to be fully compensated.

Our technical experts were on board NORMAN ATLANTIC during the previous week, inspecting the areas that were gradually liberated from the cargo. The technical investigation is continuing. There have been no further findings or indications so far concerning the passengers who are still missing.

Completely Destroyed Client’s Vehicle on Deck 5 of Norman Atlantic

January 26, 2016/by Ioannis Pavlakis

News

NORMAN ATLANTIC: Organizational Meeting of Experts & Unloading of Garages No. 3 & 4

A meeting of the Court Experts took place on January 7, 2016 at the Port Authority of Bari, with the participation of our own appointed technical experts and the Italian lawyers of our team. The object of the meeting was the updating and further organization of the ongoing technical investigation on the causes and circumstances of the fire and tragedy on the NORMAN ATLANTIC.

The unloading of the trucks and cars from the NORMAN ATLANTIC is also proceeding. Before Christmas the vehicles from deck were moved and now the procedures are continuing on deck 4, where it is held that the fire initially broke out. It is estimated that the whole operation will last about 3-5 weeks with works going on six days per week, from 08.00 am to 05.00 pm. Until 13.30 of the 8.1.2016 three trucks had been removed from deck 4. The work is difficult because the fire has destroyed the vehicles to such extent that they often fall apart when attempt is made to move them by the crane.

All trucks and vehicles in general shall be numbered with color spray before being taken out. We shall take care that the vehicles and/or cargoes owned by our clients, that are not total losses, undergo the necessary technical and/or chemical examinations and inspections.

See photos from the unloading operation.

January 11, 2016/by Ioannis Pavlakis