A woman who suffered a miscarriage is suing owners of Costa Concordia -- that ran aground off the Tuscany coast -- for mental and physical damages
A woman who suffered a miscarriage is suing owners of Costa Concordiau00a0-- that ran aground off the Tuscany coastu00a0-- for mental and physical damages
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The 30-year-old Italian, identified only as Cristina M, was four months pregnant when she set off on the Costa Concordia cruise on January 13.
Though she escaped the sinking ship in a lifeboat, she was admitted to hospital last week with a miscarriage.
Her doctors said she likely lost her baby because of the intense psychological stress suffered both during the night-time evacuation and when her lifeboat smashed up against rocks as it headed for the nearby shore.
Cristina M's lawyers will add her to a class action lawsuit against Costa Crociere and seek $1.2 million (Rs 5.8 crore) in damages for the miscarriage.
The 1,14,500-tonne liner with more than 4,200 people aboard ran aground on rocks off Tuscany's Giglio Island and lurched on to its side as passengers were settling down to dinner shortly after the start of a Mediterranean cruise.
Up to 32 people are feared to have died in the disaster, which has led to a host of legal claims against the stricken ship's parent companies.
Costa Crociere and advocacy groups representing survivors have struck a deal in which around 3,000 survivors are to receive $13,500 (Rs 6.56 lakh) each plus the cost of the cruise and expenses.
Six passengers in the United States however are suing Carnival Lines, Costa Crociere's parent company, demanding compensation totalling $430u00a0 million (Rs 2,100 crore).
In France, a number of passengers have rejected the deal and filed legal complaints with the French courts, and in Germany, a group of 19 tourists have filed criminal charges against the captain Francesco Schettino.
Underage porters aboard Concordia
Prosecutors are investigating claims that underage crew were employed on doomed liner Costa Concordia. A tip-off to Italian coastguards told them to search for youngsters aged between 13 and 16 who slept in the hold and worked as porters. Owners Costa Cruises strongly denied any of the crew were employed illegally. It appears the owners are now keen to salvage the ship in one piece and put it back into service.
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