submersible tragedy and what’s next in the recovery effortsThe Titan’s voyage down into the North Atlantic highlights theIt’s a space on the high seas where laws and conventions can be sidestepped by risk-taking entrepreneurs and the wealthy tourists who help fund their dreams. At least for now.
Experts say wrongful death and negligence lawsuits are likely in the Titan case — and they could be successful. But legal actions will face various challenges, including waivers signed by the Titan passengers that warned of the myriad ways they could die.Bob Ballard, a member of the research team that found the Titanic wreck in 1985, called the lack of certification by outside experts “the smoking gun” inThe U.S.
He described several potential problems with the Titan’s design, but said the weakest link was the carbon fiber composite hull.