Luxury Yacht Incident Expected to Trigger Legal Battles

Sure, I’ll tackle that for you with a distinctly New Yorker flair.

Big Trouble in Italy: Tech Tycoon Mike Lynch’s Yacht Sinks

In typical New York fashion, you’d say, "Forget about it!" if you think the saga ends with the sinking of a superyacht. The operator of the luxurious Bayesian is bracing for a wave of legal troubles after the vessel sank off the coast of Italy in a vicious storm, leaving UK billionaire tech mogul Mike Lynch and others dead. And if you think it’s all clear on the legal front, think again.

A High-Stakes Investigation

With 22 people on board, including Lynch and a top exec from Morgan Stanley, the 184-foot stunner found itself in deep trouble near Palermo, Sicily. Reports say it was anchored half a mile from port when a ferocious storm hit around 4 a.m. Monday, sinking the yacht in no time.

British media identified the missing passengers as:

• Mike Lynch
• Hannah Lynch (Mike’s daughter)
• Jonathan Bloomer (Morgan Stanley’s Chairman)
• Judy Bloomer (Jonathan’s wife)
• Christopher Morvillo (Lynch’s attorney)
• Neda Morvillo (Christopher’s wife)

The yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was found dead Monday, while divers discovered Lynch’s body and four of the others inside the sunken wreckage by Wednesday. According to Sky News, Lynch’s daughter, Hannah, was still missing.

Legal Wrangling on the Horizon

Maritime legal experts are already chatting up anyone who’ll listen, predicting the yacht operator is about to be knee-deep in lawsuits. Three maritime lawyers gave Business Insider the lowdown, saying both the operator and owner should start lawyering up.

According to Martin Davies—head honcho at Tulane University’s Maritime Law Center—the likely legal outcome is iffy at best. "There’s always the possibility of claims when there’s a casualty," he explained, but the chances? "Unlikely that any claims would succeed."

Michael Sturley from the University of Texas pretty much echoed those vibes, adding, "But there’s still a lot that we don’t know." Even the seasoned Oregon-based attorney, Gordon Carey, chipped in, saying, "It doesn’t spell defeat for a potential legal claim just because it’s a weather event."

The Legal Nitty-Gritty

Bad weather may not get you off the hook easily. It’s not enough to simply holler, “Mother Nature did it!” Liability still needs to be probed. For instance, under English law, proving someone’s fault is essential—though tough in this case. That’s the lowdown from Davies.

"Bad weather at sea is not unexpected," Davies remarked. But what set this apart? "It came suddenly," he commented. Meanwhile, maritime lawyer Gordon Carey added that this is far from over: "It doesn’t spell defeat just because it’s a weather event."

Implications Under Maritime Law

English Law Comes Into Play

If any claims arise, the experts think English law would likely preside since the yacht bore a UK flag. But they also leave the door open for US law if jurisdiction is found.

In the U.S., crew members might claim "unseaworthiness," a term that doesn’t require proving negligence. Davies commented, “You’d have to argue the vessel was unfit to withstand a sudden storm."

For passengers, the Death on the High Seas Act could come into play, allowing families to pursue wrongful death claims. America’s legal specialists hinted at it but added, “People are supposed to take reasonable precautions against known weather threats,” said Sturley.

The Yacht’s Ownership and Investigation

According to the Associated Press, documents show Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, as the owner via Revtom Ltd, a company registered in the Isle of Man. Camper & Nicholsons, the yacht’s managing company, confirmed the severe weather conditions but didn’t spill further details.

“Assisting with the ongoing search and providing support to the rescued passengers and crew is our priority now,” the company declared.

Conclusion

So, the bottom line? Who knows whether anyone’s dodging a lawsuit here. Either way, this legal saga is likely to unfold with plenty of twists and turns. It’s New York, after all—there’s always a next move.

For more news and updates, keep your eyes glued to Business Insider.