Archivi tag: law

NORMAN ATLANTIC: sentenza di condanna greca, Giustizia negata – Greece sentence, Justice is not served

Oggi è stata raggiunta una prima decisione di colpevolezza nel caso del disastro marittimo della nave NORMAN ATLANTIC, il processo penale in Grecia ha raggiunto un verdetto di primo grado ed il tribunale ellenico ha stabilito all’unanimità che cinque degli 11 imputati sono colpevoli e ha condannato il manager e CEO dell’ANEK ad un totale di 16 anni di reclusione ciascuno, e una condanna a 14 anni per l’equipaggio di ANEK a bordo della nave, 6 anni ed a 5 anni e 2 mesi rispettivamente ai due ufficiali di marina responsabili delle operazioni di carico.

E’ stata confermata la piena consapevolezza dei responsabili della compagnia ANEK sulle pratiche di carico dei mezzi e contrarie alle norme marittime, come consentire che i camion refrigerati mantenessero i motori a scoppio accesi anche durante la navigazione perché non era garantito a sufficienza l’allaccio alla rete elettrica della nave per tutti gli autotreni imbarcati in sovrannumero. Avrebbero potuto impedire l’evento e proteggere i passeggeri, ma non l’hanno fatto, continuando per anni a guadagnare senza riguardo alla sicurezza della vita umana.

Δίκη «Norman Atlantic»: 16 έτη φυλάκιση στους υπεύθυνους της ΑΝΕΚ

La Grecia sembra quindi aver battuto sul tempo i giudici italiani di Bari, dove pende il processo italiano per gli stessi fatti ma che è fermo ancora alle fase preliminari del dibattimento di primo grado, ma non sembra davvero che la legge ellenica abbia saputo fare Giustizia, anzi.

Il nuovo codice penale in Grecia, in vigore da luglio 2019, ha di fatto dimezzato le pene per questi reati, e prevede un massimo di 5 anni di reclusione per omicidio multiplo (prima erano fino a 10) ed il tribunale ha inflitto al presidente e all’amministratore delegato dell’ANEK pene di base di 3 anni per ogni morte e da 2 anni e 18 mesi rispettivamente per i reati di incendio doloso e disturbo del traffico marittimo. Il responsabile dell’ANEK a bordo 18 mesi di reclusione per ogni omicidio e due marinai rispettivamente di 18 mesi e un anno.

QUELLO CHE APPARE INACCETTABILE PER IL NOSTRO ORDINAMENTO E PER I FAMILIARI DELLE VITTIME è che la sentenza greca, con pene al carcere complessivamente fino a 16 anni, secondo la loro legge penale possa essere totalmente convertita in una multa/sanzione economica dagli imputati, che quindi sono stati condannati ma non sconteranno un solo giorno di carcere: 20 euro per ogni giorno di reclusione per il presidente e l’amministratore delegato della compagnia di navigazione, 10 euro al giorno per il responsabile dell’ANEK a bordo e 5 euro al giorno per i due marinai condannati. E la pena è sospesa fino al secondo grado (come avviene anche in Italia).

Ciò significa che l’intera misura della pena detentiva sarà convertita nel pagamento di una multa, una condanna economica; gli imputati, giudicati responsabili della morte di 10 persone a bordo e 19 dispersi a mare, nel disastro avvenuto a causa della grave violazione delle norme di prudenza e del diritto marittimo, non sconteranno in Grecia neanche un giorno di prigione, con una sentenza solo sulla carta a 16 anni.

Infatti a causa del nuovo codice penale greco, tutte le pene sono ricondotte al limite massimo previsto attualmente dalla legge ellenica in caso di omicidio colposo plurimo, ossia 5 anni.

Noi avvocati e cittadini italiani dovremo svolgere molte riflessioni sul significato e la portata della sentenza greca che, in ogni caso, riguarda solo minimamente gli imputati nel processo italiano sul naufragio del NORMAN ATLANTIC, ma una cosa è certa, i passeggeri che si sono costituiti parte civile nel processo penale italiano, di cui la maggior parte sono di nazionalità greca, possono contare nel nostro paese su una macchina della giustizia sicuramente più lenta e complicata, ma certamente più rigorosa. In Grecia non si può dire moralmente che Giustizia è stata fatta.

Il nostro ordinamento penale non permette di cavarsela così facilmente con la conversione in denaro di una pena detentiva così importante; in Italia per condanne superiori a 4 anni si va in carcere, così come nel caso della condanna a 16 anni che il comandante Schettino sta in galera da circa 3 anni per il disastro della Concordia.

Visto che il nuovo codice penale greco ha dimezzato le pene e consente di convertire le condanne detentive in una somma di danaro, 20 euro al giorno una condanna a 16 anni per la morte di 10 persone e 19 dispersi, si trasforma comodamente (16 anni -> 5844 giorni x 20 euro) in 116.880 euro e zero giorni di carcere, mentre con la riduzione a 5 anni la somma scende a 36.500 euro.

Ci lamentiamo spesso della legge penale italiana, ma questa roba qui per un avvocato delle vittime dei disastri è davvero una sentenza sconvolgente, non si tratta di giustizialismo, ma di fronte ad omicidi plurimi e la prova raggiunta su una pratica aziendale votata alla massimizzazione dei profitti, convertire 16 anni di carcere in una multa a 20 euro al giorno, vuol dire negare ai familiari delle vittime una condanna anche solo morale: e come sempre diciamo non c’è pace senza Giustizia.

<p class="has-drop-cap" value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">Today a first guilty decision was reached in the case of the NORMAN ATLANTIC maritime disaster, as the criminal trial in Greece reached a first instance verdict and the Greek court unanimously ruled that five of the 11 defendants are guilty and sentenced the manager and CEO of ANEK to a total of 16 years in prison each, and a sentence of 14 years for ANEK's crew on board the ship, 6 years and 5 years and 2 months respectively to the two naval officers responsible of loading operations.Today a first guilty decision was reached in the case of the NORMAN ATLANTIC maritime disaster, as the criminal trial in Greece reached a first instance verdict and the Greek court unanimously ruled that five of the 11 defendants are guilty and sentenced the manager and CEO of ANEK to a total of 16 years in prison each, and a sentence of 14 years for ANEK’s crew on board the ship, 6 years and 5 years and 2 months respectively to the two naval officers responsible of loading operations.

The full awareness of the managers of the ANEK company on the loading practices of the vehicles and contrary to maritime regulations, such as allowing the refrigerated trucks to keep the internal combustion engines running even during navigation, was confirmed because of lack of the connection to the the ship’s electrical network for all excessively loaded trucks. They could have prevented the event and protect the passengers, but they did not, continuing to earn money for years regardless of the safety of human life.

Δίκη «Norman Atlantic»: 16 έτη φυλάκιση στους υπεύθυνους της ΑΝΕΚ

Greece therefore seems to have beaten the Italian judges of Bari on time, where the Italian trial is pending for the same facts and is still at the preliminary stage of the first instance trial, but it does not really seem that Hellenic law has been able to do justice, rather.

The new criminal code in Greece, in force since July 2019, has effectively halved the penalties for these crimes, and provides for a maximum of 5 years of imprisonment for multiple homicides (previously up to 10) and the court has imposed on the president and to the CEO of ANEK basic penalties of 3 years for each death and 2 years and 18 months respectively for the offenses of arson and disturbance of maritime traffic. The ANEK manager on board 18 months’ imprisonment for each murder and two sailors of 18 months and one year respectively.

WHAT APPEARS UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR LEGAL SYSTEM AND FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS is that the Greek sentence, with a total prison sentence of up to 16 years, according to their criminal law can be totally converted into a fine / economic sanction by the defendants, which therefore were sentenced but will not serve a single day in prison: € 20 for each day of imprisonment for the president and CEO of the shipping company, € 10 per day for the ANEK manager on board and € 5 per day for the two condemned sailors. And the sentence is suspended up to the second degree (as is also the case in Italy).

This means that the entire measure of the prison sentence will be converted into the payment of a fine, an economic sentence; the defendants, found responsible for the deaths of 10 people on board and 19 missing at sea, in the disaster that occurred due to the serious violation of the rules of prudence and maritime law, will not serve even a day in prison in Greece, with a sentence only on card to 16 years.

In fact, due to the new Greek penal code, all penalties are reduced to the maximum limit set now by the Hellenic law in case of multiple manslaughter, i.e. 5 years.

We Italian lawyers and citizens will have to carry out many reflections on the meaning and scope of the Greek sentence which, in any case, only minimally concerns the defendants in the Italian trial on the sinking of the NORMAN ATLANTIC, but one thing is certain, the passengers who filed as civil parties in the Italian criminal trial, most of which are of Greek nationality, in our country can count on a system of justice that is certainly slower and more complicated, but for sure also more rigorous. In Greece one cannot morally say that Justice has been served.

Our criminal legal system does not allow them defendants to get away so easily with the conversion of such an important prison sentence into money; in Italy for sentences of over 4 years you go to prison, as well as in the case of the 16-year sentence that captain Schettino has been serving in prison for about 3 years now, for the Concordia disaster.

Given that the new Greek penal code has halved the sentences and allows prison convictions to be converted into a sum of money, 20 euros a day on a 16-year sentence for the death of 10 people and 19 missing, it is easily transformed (16 years > 5,844 days x 20 euros = 116,880 euros) and zero days in prison, while with the reduction to 5 years the sum drops to 36,500 euros.

We often complain about Italian criminal law, but this stuff here for a mass disaster victim’s lawyer is really a shocking sentence, it is not about justicialism, but facing multiple homicides and the proof achieved on a corporate practice devoted to maximizing profits , converting 16 years of prison into a fine of 20 euros a day, means denying the families of the victims even for a moral sentence: and as we always say there is no peace without justice.


Udienza 14.10.2020 – second hearing in the criminal trial after the Covid-19 stop

The Bitonto bunker hall courtroom in session

__________ENGLISH ___________

On 14.10.2020 in front of the Criminal Court of Bari in Collegial composition, chaired by Dr. Guida, was held the second hearing in the criminal trial for the disaster in the Norman Atlantic fire, which occurred in international waters in December 2014 between Italy and Greece.

In order to guarantee the social distancing between the parties due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the hearing was held as always in the Bitonto bunker hall, but distributing the judges, prosecutors, defenders of the accused and civil party lawyers, in three different rooms in the building, video connected to each other, and everything was done efficiently and well organized.

Our legal team, representing a large number of ferry passengers and relatives of victims and missing persons, participated from the very early stages at the criminal proceedings, having already constituted the clients as an offended party in the investigation and in the evidentiary incident, i.e. during the long phase of the preliminary assessment carried out by the court onboard the Norman Atlantic wreck by request of Bari public prosecutor’s office, then formally constituting ourselves as a civil party at the preliminary hearing on behalf of all our clients, proposing compensation requests to the court there, by transferring the action that we had already proposed to the civil court within two years of the accident.

The preliminary hearing phase ended positively with the indictment of all the defendants, and we therefore moved on to the opening phase of the actual trial, slowed down in February last year and then suspended due to the Covid-19 epidemic which also affected all procedural and judicial activities, but finally at this hearing we resumed activities by addressing the first formal issues, which essentially concerned the preliminary objections raised by the defendants against our appearance in court and participation in the trial as civil parties, and the request for expulsion proposed by the 4 companies that we have called for damages in their quality for civil liability, in this case Visemar transport, Visemar of navigation, Visentini shipyards and, of course, the Greek carrier ANEK SA.

These requests, based on the alleged application of EC Regulation 392 and of the Athens Convention and of the short two-year forfeiture period envisaged therein, as a restriction on the criminal laws and on the normal limitation and forfeiture periods, are already been proposed in front of the Judge of the hearing preliminary, and rejected by this with a very articulated ordinance, which clarified how the scope of application of the European regulation cannot in any way entail a compression of the constitutional rights of the injured party, limiting the possibility of appear, restricted on excessively narrow and rigorous terms, as a civil party affecting the right to participate in the criminal trial, and file for compensation for all damages suffered.

The court allowed all the defendants lawyers and civil liability companies to illustrate their objections and various requests, and then gave the turn to the Public Prosecutor, who laudably supported the offended parties and argued widely in favor of their legitimate right to participate in this trial, to then allow a round of replies to the civil parties lawyers.

From our side, we insisted on the rejection of all requests proposed by the defendants’ lawyers, arguing in a synthetic but very direct way on the various specific objections raised against us, in the certainty that once again, as already happened in the civil trial and then in the preliminary stage of this criminal trial, all matters will be rejected by the court in a favorable sense for passengers.

At the end of the hearing, which was closed around 3.00 pm, the court reserved the right to decide by order at the next hearing on the issues relating to the constitutions of civil parties, postponing for the continuation to 11th of November 2020, to address the other preliminary issues that as expected will concern the exceptions of territorial jurisdiction, and those concerning the cd. bis in idem and the conflict of jurisdiction between the Italian criminal trial and the one that is taking place in Greece.

In this regard, we are also following in parallel what happens in the Greek criminal trial, and we reserve the right to deal with the issues when they will be raised by the defendants, anticipating however that we believe that the problem of the overlap between the two judgments does not exist, having also been this question addressed, and positively resolved in favor of the jurisdiction of the Italian judges, by the GIP dott. Agnino during the preliminary hearing that ended last year.

Starting from the next hearing, the real indictment process will begin, establishing a schedule that will finally give a decisive acceleration to the trial, starting with the depositions of witnesses and consultants of the public prosecution office.

______________ ITALIANO ____________

Il 14.10.2020 innanzi al tribunale penale di Bari in composizione Collegiale, presieduto dal Dott. Guida, si è celebrata la seconda udienza nel processo penale dibattimentale per il disastro nell’incendio del Norman Atlantic, avvenuto in acque internazionali nel dicembre 2014 tra Italia e Grecia.

Al fine di garantire il distanziamento sociale tra le parti per via delle restrizioni Covid-19, l’udienza si è svolta sempre nell’aula bunker di Bitonto, ma distribuendo i giudici, pubblici ministeri, difensori degli imputati ed avvocati di parte civile, in tre diverse aule dell’edificio videocollegate tra esse, e tutto si è svolto in modo efficiente e ben organizzato.

Il nostro team legale, in rappresentanza di un largo numero di passeggeri del traghetto e di familiari di vittime e dispersi, ha partecipato sin dalle primissime fasi al procedimento penale, essendoci costituiti come parte offesa già nelle indagini e nell’incidente probatorio, ossia durante la lunga fase della perizia preliminare svolta dal tribunale a bordo del relitto su richiesta dell’ufficio della Procura di Bari, costituendoci poi formalmente come parte civile alla udienza preliminare per conto di tutti i nostri assistiti, proponendo in quella sede le richieste risarcitorie al tribunale, e trasferendo in sede penale l’azione che avevamo già proposto in sede civile entro il biennio dall’incidente.

La fase della udienza preliminare si è chiusa positivamente con il rinvio a giudizio di tutti gli imputati, e siamo dunque passati nella fase di apertura del processo vero e proprio, rallentato a febbraio dell’anno scorso e poi sospeso a causa dell’epidemia Covid-19 che ha interessato anche l’attività processuale e giudiziaria, ma finalmente alla udienza di oggi abbiamo ripreso le attività affrontando le prime questioni formali, che riguardano essenzialmente le eccezioni preliminari sollevate dai difensori degli imputati nei confronti della nostra costituzione in giudizio e partecipazione al processo come parti civili, e la richiesta di estromissione proposto dalle 4 società che abbiamo chiamato a rispondere dei danni nella loro qualità di responsabili civili, nella fattispecie Visemar trasporti, Visemar di navigazione, cantieri navali Visentini e, ovviamente, il vettore greco ANEK SA. Tali richieste, fondate sulla pretesa applicazione del regolamento CE 392 e della convenzione di Atene e del termine breve di decadenza biennale ivi previsto in prevalenza sulle norme penali e sui normali termini di prescrizione e di decadenza, sono state già proposte davanti al Giudice dell’udienza preliminare, e da questo rigettate con una ordinanza molto articolata, che ha chiarito quanto l’ambito di applicazione del regolamento europeo non possa in alcun modo comportare una compressione dei diritti costituzionali della parte offesa, limitandone in un termine eccessivamente ristretto e rigoroso la possibilità di costituirsi come parte civile e il diritto di partecipare al processo penale, chiedendo in quella sede il risarcimento di tutti i danni subiti.

Il tribunale ha consentito a tutti i difensori degli imputati e delle società responsabili civili di illustrare le loro eccezioni e le varie richieste, per poi dare la parola al Pubblico Ministero, che ha lodevolmente sostenuto le parti offese e argomentato ampiamente a favore del loro legittimo diritto a partecipare a questo processo, per poi consentire un giro di repliche alle parti civili.

Da parte nostra abbiamo insistito per il rigetto di tutte richieste riproposte dalle difese degli imputati argomentando in modo sintetico, ma molto diretto, sulle varie specifiche eccezioni sollevate nei nostri confronti, nella certezza che ancora una volta, come già avvenuto in sede civile e poi nella fase preliminare di questo processo penale, tutte le questioni vengano superate dal tribunale in senso favorevole ai passeggeri.

Il tribunale al termine della udienza, che è stata chiusa verso le ore 15,00, si è riservato di decidere con ordinanza alla prossima udienza sulle questioni inerenti le costituzioni di parte civile, rinviando per il prosieguo al giorno 11 novembre 2020, per affrontare le altre questioni preliminari che si prevedono riguarderanno le eccezioni di competenza territoriale, e quelle riguardanti il cd. bis in idem ed il conflitto di giurisdizione tra processo penale italiano e quello che si sta celebrando in Grecia.

A questo proposito stiamo seguendo parallelamente anche quanto avviene nel processo penale greco, ed ci riserviamo di trattare le questioni nel momento in cui verranno eccepite dai difensori degli imputati, anticipando tuttavia che riteniamo insussistente il problema della sovrapposizione tra i due giudizi, essendo stata peraltro anche tale questione affrontata, e risolta positivamente, a favore della giurisdizione dei giudici italiani, dal GIP dott. Agnino durante l’udienza preliminare terminata l’anno scorso.

A partire dalla udienza successiva si entrerà nel vivo del processo, stabilendo un calendario che darà finalmente una decisiva accelerazione al processo, dando il via alle deposizioni di testi e consulenti della pubblica accusa.


Estratto audio della udienza, replica alle eccezioni delle difese degli imputati sulle costituzioni di parte civile

Green light for the NORMAN ATLANTIC’s Civil case in Bari

The civil Court of Bari

Following the last hearing in the NORMAN ATLANTIC’s civil case running in the court of Bari, the judge had kept the file in reserve on the many exceptions raised by the counterpart lawyers to support the ineffectiveness and illegitimacy of the notifications and of the whole trial action; on the contrary, by order of the judge dott.ssa SIMONE RAFFAELLA, the Court has instead decided to proceed further in the case and has accepted our request to extend the claim for 26 million euro against VISEMAR COSTRUZIONI, owner of the “naked” hull of the Norman Atlantic ship, then leased to Visemar Navigazione and in turn from this rented to the Greek company ANEK AE. Following the summons for the third party’s call in the trial, the first company will then be jointly held with the others to pay all damages to passengers.

The next hearing of the trial is scheduled for 03/28/2019 09:30 AM FOR THE CALL OF THE THIRD COMPANY.

In the meantime, the criminal trial – passed the phase of the probative incident that has verified the presence of serious responsibilities and malfunctions as with the expert report ordered by the preliminary investigation judge – is undergoing a decisive delay in the start of the trial phase due to structural problems in the court of justice building of Bari; in fact, starting from the end of July, is being declared the stop of all criminal cases with not a few organizational problems for the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is now without a proper building to celebrate the trials.

We will keep you up-to-date on upcoming developments in civil hearings and criminal cases.


LUCE VERDE PER IL PROCESSO CIVILE A BARI

A seguito della ultima udienza nella causa civile sul naufragio della NORMAN ATLANTIC presso il tribunale di Bari, il giudice aveva trattenuto il fascicolo in riserva sulle molte eccezioni sollevate dai legali di controparte per sostenere la nullità delle notifiche e della azione processuale; al contrario con ordinanza del giudice dott.ssa SIMONE RAFFAELLA, il Tribunale ha invece disposto procedersi oltre nel processo ed ha accolto la ns richiesta di estendere la domanda risarcitoria per 26 milioni di euro circa nei confronti della VISEMAR COSTRUZIONI, proprietaria dello scafo “nudo” della m/n Norman Atlantic, poi concessa in locazione a Visemar Navigazione e a sua volta da questa noleggiata alla compagnia greca ANEK AE. A seguito della citazione per la chiamata del terzo nel processo, anche la prima società sarà quindi tenuta in solido con le altre al risarcimento dei danni a favore dei passeggeri.

La prossima udienza per la prosecuzione del giudizio è fissata al 28/03/2019 09:30 PER CHIAMATA DEL TERZO.

Nel frattempo il giudizio penale – superata la fase dell’incidente probatorio che ha accertato la presenza di gravi responsabilità e malfunzionamenti con la perizia disposta dal giudice delle indagini preliminari – sta subendo un deciso ritardo nell’avvio della fase dibattimentale a causa dei problemi strutturali nel palazzo di giustizia di Bari; di fatto a partire da fine luglioo’è stato lo stop di tutte le cause penali e non pochi problemi organizzativi per la Procura, che si ritrova senza aule per celebrare i processi. Vi terremo aggiornati a breve sui prossimi sviluppi delle udienze civili e della causa penale.

Fire emergency in Greece on Anek’s ferry΄El Venizelos’ – ΄ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΟΣ ΒΕΝΙΖΕΛΟΣ΄: ΜΙΑ ΑΚΟΜΗ ΠΥΡΚΑΓΙΑ ΞΕΣΠΑΣΕ ΣΕ ΟΧΗΜΑΤΑΓΩΓΟ ΠΛΟΙΟ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΕΚ LINES

In the night between August the 28th and the 29th 2018 the ship Eleftherios Venizelos, another ferry from Anek Lines, during its travel from Piraeus to Crete with 875 passengers and 141 crew on board, was hit by a serious fire in the garage area, so much that the Captain was forced to declare general emergency and abandonment of the ship.

The emergency operations were not easy and implied the intervent of two firefighting tug boats, ten tenders, 48 firefighters and two emergency teams, as the fire was very quickly expanding from the lower decks and heavy black smoke was inclosing the ship.

The dynamic of the new accident is similar to the disaster of the Norman Atlantic, which as this one, was operating under the flag of the Greek company ANEK: a vehicle parked on board caught fire so that from 12am the board started to send emergency signals to get help from the Coast Guard.

After we assisted dozens of passengers who suffered a devastating experience onboard of the Anek’s ferry Norman Atlantic in the nights of the 28/29 December 2014 where so many lost their life, an all others suffered for their personal safety and for the losses of their personal belongings and for which we already submitted to the Civil Court of Bari our law suit against Anek and Visemar (see our web page on such case: https://giustiziapernormanatlantic.wordpress.com/), we face another case with a fire that broke out in the car deck of a ferry.

The emergency operations on the Eleftherios Venizelos went on during all night and the ship was at the end escorted back into Piraeus and all the passengers were disambarked only during the morning of the 29 August.

Media sources report that the ship has had many problems operating so much that since 2014 it has a discontinuous use, with some short-term rentals (including one to the Greek government for the transportation of migrants from the islands) and sporadic income in service as a replace of other ships Anek stopped for repairs. This raises questions in relation to safety of the ship. These questions will be adressed by with a specific complaint we will file to authorities that have already opened an investigation to find out the causes of the fire and the reasons for the lack of containment of the flames in the garage by the drenching system, providing all the trial expert’s reports on Norman Atlantic about critical issues on fires in Ro/Ro ship’s garage open decks. Continua a leggere

Documento Newspaper on our client’s testimonies

An article from Documento newspaper in Greece, recently took into account our legal Team collegue Mr. Kriton Metaxopoulos and some of our client’s interview.

Numerous faults, omissions and violations of basic safety rules are detected in the report on the causes of the tragedy of the Norman Atlantic shipwreck from the experts appointed by the Italian Justice which is currently displayed in «Documento» newspaper. At the same time, people who experienced the events of December 28th 2014, talk to «Documento» newspaper and describe the dramatic moments they experienced in the Adriatic, where they literally faced death.

The appointed experts reported that the ship was overloaded with vehicles and especially refrigerator trucks. The results showed that the on board vehicles were more than the available sockets. In this context, many refrigerator trucks had their engines working while the ship was on board. Furthermore, the experts concluded that the fire caused by a vehicle engine/machine, a fact that may be related to the operation of the engines the on board refrigerator trucks. It is mentioned that the inadequacy of the available sockets on the ship compared with the number of refrigerator trucks became subject of the debate among captain Argillio Giaromazzi, ship-owner Argillio Giaromazzi and representative of ANEK, few hours before the fatal incident.  It is also noted that due to overload of the ship, the vehicles in parking lots were almost stuck with each other.

According to the appointed experts, the construction of the ship, the arrangement of its inner spaces and the time required for the activation of the ship’s fire-alarm system were the basic factors that the fire impossible to be extinguished on time.

Mr. Kriton Metaxopoulos, the lawyer who represents families of victims of the Norman Atlantic shipwreck along with Italian lawyers, mentioned in Documento newspaper the following: ‘’The facts resulted from questioning procedure until today and basically the experts’ findings confirm all the allegations and arguments of both families of the victims and tragedy survivors. In any case, according to my opinion, there is no doubt about the civil and criminal liability of the defendants’’.

Survivors’ Testimonies

  • Mr. Ioannis Vassalos (passenger): ‘’There was no plan and the crew was not on its duty positions.  The situation was out of control.’’
  • Mr. Olivier Coissard (French passenger): ‘’There were such high temperatures that our shoes melted and our bags got burnt.’’
  • Mr. Evangelos Tsoukis (passenger): ‘’Every one of us acted spontaneously. […] There was no coordinated action or any information by the crew…’’
  • Mr. Leonidas Konstantinidis (truck driver): ‘’We were trapped and fire was getting closer to us. The only option seemed to be the sea’’.

Costa Concordia case and Norman Atlantic

Costa Concordia and punitive damages

Costa Concordia and punitive damages

As known, the ruling on appeal in criminal proceedings about the sinking of Costa Concordia ship, has recently upheld the conviction of captain Francesco Schettino to 16 years in prison. Our legal team has participated in this criminal trial since the beginning, representing, as “Giustizia per la Concordia” the interests of circa a hundred passengers and one of the victims, through a civil request  of compensation filed in the criminal case, running in the court of Grosseto in first degree, and in front of the Court of appeal of Florence then.

Our work, however, it was also and above focused towards establishing facts, detection of truth and identification of ALL responsibilities that, over those undeniable, objective and subjective, of the Captain, have prepared the ground to realize the tragedy, and in particular those of the shipping company because of the many failures, the crew unpreparedness, lack of immediate demand of tugboats and criminal management of the emergency, all widely linked to a consolidated savings policy by Costa Crociere, and more generally from all the shipping companies of big ships.

In the first degree instance, our clients, which – differently many others passengers, did not accept the company offer (€ 11.000,00, giving up any further claims and rights), obtained the conviction for a provisional compensation payment by Costa Cruises, variable between 30 thousand and 50 thousand euro for each passenger. In Appeal the payment due has been increased of about 15 thousand euro, raising the provisionals in a range from 45.000,00 to 65.000,00 euro for each passenger. Up to six times the original offer , as accepted by most passengers!

About punitive damages, the case will proceed in Supreme Court, as recently in our country, we faced many openings to this important side effect of a conviction, in presence of gross negligence.

We can not but emphasize that the compensation ruling on the Concordia case, and the positive results obtained in that criminal trial, can ad will reflect also directly on the Norman Atlantic case, as the winding parameters of the damage used by the courts, took into account the existence of psychological harm, in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resulting from the participation of our clients to a traumatic experience that left indelible marks in their lives.

Knowing in detail the personal story lived on board of the Norman Atlantic by all of our clients that we assist in this other major naval disaster, we can state without a doubt, that their experience on board of the ferry on fire has been extremely stronger than the one lived aboard of the Concordia, both in terms of duration (up to two days) that of the physical and psychological intensity (exposure to extreme conditions, intoxication from fumes, no assistance on board etc.) and finally major financial losses in the event for the loss of all goods and personal effects, destruction of vehicles and transports etc.

It is worth noting that insurers of both vessels are in fact the same subjects, (P&I club, referring to a joint consortium of shipping companies), and then all damages paid in favor of the Concordia passengers are an objective parameter that must be taken into consideration both at the time of further negotiations in the case of Norman Atlantic, and also in the case of a winding-up on the outcome of the criminal trial, in course of establishment in Bari.

In NA criminal proceedings, the Public Prosecutor office of Bari is finalizing the unloading and disposal of all destroyed vehicles by the outside decks of the ship, and experts are concluding their investigations, aimed at identifying the causes of the fire, the propagation mode of management emergency.

So we trust that soon there will be an acceleration in both the criminal proceedings in the possible negotiations in the accident of Norman Atlantic, which remains one of the largest in recent years in the Mediterranean.

______________

Costa Concordia and punitive damages

Costa Concordia and punitive damages

Come noto la sentenza di appello nel processo penale sul naufragio della Costa Concordia ha recentemente confermato la condanna del comandante Francesco Schettino a 16 anni di reclusione. Il nostro team legale ha partecipato sia dall’inizio a questo processo, rappresentando gli interessi di un centinaio di passeggeri e di una delle vittime, attraverso la costituzione di parte civile e la richiesta di una liquidazione risarcitorio già in sede penale da parte del tribunale di Grosseto prima, e della Corte d’appello di Firenze poi.Il nostro lavoro, però, si è incentrato anche e sopratutto in direzione dell’accertamento dei fatti, dell’accertamento della verità e della individuazione di TUTTE le responsabilità che, oltre quelle innegabili, oggettive e soggettive, del Comandante, hanno preparato il terreno al realizzi della tragedia, ed in particolare quelle della compagnia di navigazione per via dei tanti malfunzionamenti, della impreparazione dell’equipaggio, della mancata richiesta immediata dei rimorchiatori e della criminale gestione della emergenza, il tutto diffusamente legato ad una consolidata politica di risparmio da parte di Costa Crociere, e più in generale delle compagnie di navigazione delle grandi navi.

In primo grado i nostri clienti, che non hanno accettato la offerta di pagamento della società di 11mila euro (accettando la quale in moltissimi altri passeggeri, invece, hanno purtroppo rinunciato ad ogni ulteriore pretesa e diritto) hanno ottenuto la condanna di Costa Crociere al pagamento di una provvisionale sui risarcimenti, variabile tra 30mila e 50 mila euro per ciascun passeggero. In Appello tutti i risarcimenti sono stati aumentati di circa 15 mila euro, portando le provvisionali dai 45mila a 65 mila euro per ciascun passeggero. Fino a sei volte la offerta originaria, accettata dalla maggior parte degli altri passeggeri!

Riguardo ai danni punitivi, proseguiamo in Cassazione, visto che nel nostro paese si sono avuti molti riconoscimenti di questa particolare forma di condanna in presenza di colpa grave, e che le Sezioni Unite sono state recentemente chiamate a pronunciarsi al riguardo.

 Al riguardo non possiamo non evidenziare che la sentenza sulla Concordia ed i positivi risultati ottenuti nel processo penale non può che riflettersi anche sul caso del Norman Atlantic, in quanto i parametri di liquidazione del danno da parte dei giudici, hanno tenuto conto sostanzialmente della sussistenza di un danno psicologico, in termini di disturbo da stress post traumatico (ptsd), derivante dalla partecipazione dei nostri clienti ad una esperienza traumatica che ha lasciato segni indelebili nella loro vita.

Conoscendo nel dettaglio la storia personale vissuta a bordo del Norman Atlantic da parte dei tanti clienti che assistiamo anche in questo disastro navale, siamo in grado di affermare senza ombra di dubbio che la loro esperienza a bordo del traghetto in fiamme è stata estremamente più forte di quella vissuta a bordo della Concordia, sia in termini di durata (fino a due giorni) che di intensità fisica e psicologica (esposizione a condizioni psicofisiche estreme, intossicazione dai fumi, mancata assistenza a bordo etc.) ed infine maggiori danni patrimoniali in caso di perdita di tutti i beni ed effetti personali, distruzione degli automezzi e trasporti etc.

Vale la pena evidenziare che gli assicuratori di entrambe le navi sono di fatto gli stessi, riferibili ad un consorzio solidale tra compagnie di navigazione, e quindi i danni liquidati in favore dei passeggeri della Concordia costituiscono un parametro che dovrà essere preso in considerazione tanto in sede di ulteriori trattative per il caso del Norman Atlantic, che nel caso di una liquidazione ad esito del processo penale in corso di instaurazione a Bari.

 Nel procedimento penale, la Procura di Bari sta tuttora ultimando allo scarico e smaltimento degli automezzi distrutti dai ponti esterni della nave, ed i periti stanno concludendo le loro attività di indagine, volte alla individuazione delle cause dell’incendio, modalità di propagazione di gestione della emergenza.

 Confidiamo quindi che a breve ci sarà una accelerazione sia nel procedimento penale che nelle possibili trattative nell’incidente del Norman Atlantic, che resta uno dei più gravi degli ultimi anni nel mediterraneo.

A bordo del Norman Atlantic – 12 giugno 2015

Avv. Massimiliano Gabrielli a bordo del norman atlantic Friday the 12th of June 2015, together with the experts appointed by the Criminal Court of Bari, consultants of parties in disputes and my colleagues, we did the first official site inspection on the ship Norman Atlantic, burned down December 28, 2014 off the coast of Albania, while on its way from Greece to Italy. The ship is being sealed in custody for over six months, and after being towed from Tirana to Brindisi, and then to Bari, has been moored in the cruise dock of Bari port. Inside, remained the cars and trucks carrying the goods and all the belongings of the passengers, escaped from death, unfortunately not all, on board of the helicopters and with the few ferry’s means of saving. Everything that was not carbonized by the fire, which reached temperatures above 900 Celsius degrees (it melted aluminum wheels of the cars), has rotted under the heat of the sun; in the enclosed decks to reach the main brigde, we walked in total darkness between smelly sewage, fumes of dioxin, deformed walls, insects and rusty irons, in high danger conditions.

Foto 12-06-15 08 48 11Once we reached the higher opened deck, where passengers found refuge and were trapped for nearly three days in extreme weather surroundings (7-8 sea force, with waves of six meters and freezing winds over 50 km/h) and dreadful psycho-physical conditions, caught between the fire beneath them – melting the soles of their shoes, and the jets of icy water sprayed from the tug boats, we realized perfectly that these ships are death traps from which, in the event of a real emergency, it is impossible to escape. To save more than 500 persons on board were present only two lifeboats and some inflatable liferaft, to be reached sliding in a tube along the 25 meters of the ship’s side, adrift and on fire. Too bad that the red hot steel flank and flames melted the tube, and a man remained stuck inside, while on starboard side, the lifeboat and the tube were reduced to ashes even before they could be prepared for disembarking.

ponet esterno norman atlanticBeyond the technical aspects, regarding the investigations about the causes of the fire, on the ship’s malfunction and the behavior of the crew in the early stages of the emergency, the inspection of the ship has been helpful for us lawyers to better understand the tragedy experienced by our clients. Compared to the inspection on board of the Costa Concordia, which offered us, at distance of two years from the wreck, a kind of immediate snapshot of the moment when the passengers left everything and fled through the giant ship that ended up half under water – which is why I defined it as a modern Pompeii, on the upper deck of the Norman Atlantic we had the feeling of endless time of waiting for help, we found objects that passengers have used for the days in which they were trapped on board, the notebook with the drawings used to keep the kids occupied, blankets, a few bottles of water, bags and shoes of women, abandoned since then; everything else, in passenger’s cabins and lower decks, was reduced to ashes or buried inside the rusty carcasses of burned cars and trucks, along with the bodies of other passengers and clandestine still missing.

The shipping company has requested to delete the logo ANEK LINES from the side of the ship, considered embarrassing and damaging to their commercial image. Certainly it would also like to erase the memory of the tragedy and of the dead, but this will not happen. We lawyers of the victims are here for this, and after this strong experience we will know how to make it even better. The trial will bring light on the ferry industry, ships of shame, and on responsibilities for malfunctions, which are to be found also in the too easy system of controls on ships by the relevant authorities.

Avv. Massimiliano Gabrielli


Foto 12-06-15 09 56 20Il 12 giugno con i miei colleghi di Giustizia per la Concordia, Alessandra Guarini e Massimiliano Gabrielli, sono salito a bordo di quello che resta del Norman Atlantic per eseguire coi periti incaricati dal Tribunale e con i consulenti delle parti il primo sopralluogo sulle condizioni della nave. Siamo entrati da un passaggio – il c.d. accesso del pilota – che dalla fiancata sinistra della nave permette di attraversare una parte del ponte 1 per poi accedere ai ponti superiori con una delle scale posizionate all’interno dei ponti carico. Immediatamente entrati siamo letteralmente assaliti da un fetore indescrivibile di fumo, di putredine e di carburante che ti entra nel naso e in gola nonostante le mascherine che tutti noi portiamo.

Foto 12-06-15 10 04 25Il buio all’interno é totale e ci si può muovere solo usando torce elettriche che ognuno di noi porta con se… nonostante le torce il percorso é veramente pericolosissimo perché camminiamo attraverso carcasse contorte di camion completamente bruciati e gli spazi sono assolutamente angusti. Non solo: il pavimento é esso stesso contorto per essere stato deformato dal calore, scivoloso per essere ricoperto di poltiglia di olio e carburante e acqua e comunque disseminato di detriti metallici. Si sentono anche le mosche, tante, grosse, che ti seguono ovunque in quei meandri bui e rumori di ferraglia che si muove, scricchiola, e si intravvede qualche piccolo animale che scappa al nostro arrivo. Il percorso che ci viene indicato dai militari della guardia costiera che ci accompagnano é assolutamente caotico e si ha l’impressione che nemmeno loro sappiano effettivamente quale strada pigliare tanto che alcune delle persone che mi precedevano prenderanno una strada diversa da quella che il militare che avevo più vicino mi indicava.

Foto 12-06-15 09 35 16Finalmente, dopo avere salito due ponti attraverso scale buie e scivolose dove tutto era coperto da viscidume e dal nero fumo che permea quasi del tutto l’interno della Norman, spuntiamo in uno spazio aperto dove vediamo direttamente le condizioni del ponte e delle auto che erano state li posteggiate: il pavimento, come all’interno, é tutto contorto per il calore che si era sviluppato e la vernice che lo ricopriva é bruciata così che é quasi tutto color ruggine. Le auto sono solo degli scheletri e addirittura vediamo che i cerchioni si sono completamente fusi…uno dei consulenti che erano con noi ci dice che l’alluminio fonde a 900 gradi! Questa, dunque, é la temperatura infernale che almeno è stata raggiunta, addirittura all’aperto! Curiosamente – ci dicono che sarebbe dipeso dallo sbandamento che comunque la nave ha subito – le carcasse delle auto si sono ammassate tutte verso il lato dritto della nave. In maniera inspiegabile vediamo due auto – una Porsche e una Volvo – targate Grecia – sul ponte all’aperto, posizionate sul lato sinistro, che si sono salvate senza apparentemente subire alcun danno.

Foto 12-06-15 09 37 02Sempre sul lato a dritta possiamo vedere quello che rimane delle due scialuppe di salvataggio che non sono state calate a mare (l’incendio si era sviluppato da quella parte e evidentemente non fu possibile sbracciarle): non esistono più, sono completamente polverizzate e inspiegabilmente vediamo all’interno di esse ancora intatte le buste delle razioni di emergenza. Fortunatamente riusciamo a salire al ponte quattro e al cinque senza la necessità di dover rientrare nel ventre nero delle nave: dall’esterno per essere tutte le vetrate esplose per il calore si vedono comunque i resti dei saloni interni che risultano completamente carbonizzati. L’odore tremendo che esce da quelle sale fa presumere che lá ci possano ancora essere dei resti umani.

Foto 12-06-15 10 57 28Accediamo alla plancia di comando dove troviamo un ambiente che, salvo la parte centrale adiacente alla safety room che risulta del tutto bruciata (e anche il soffitto li é deformato dal calore), é cristallizzata ai momenti concitati dell’emergenza. Con Alessandra e Massimiliano ci aggiriamo attoniti in quel l’ambiente che ci ricorda drammaticamente il nostro accesso al ponte di comando della Concordia: lo stesso abbandono e lo stesso senso di tragedia che abbiamo respirato anche lá. Carte buttate ovunque, telefoni abbandonati, sediole rovesciate, il caos di chi evidentemente non ha potuto o saputo dominare quello che stava accadendo.

Foto 12-06-15 09 21 59Dal punto di vista tecnico pare di intendere che i periti e i consulenti siano orientati a ritenere che la causa dell’incendio sia da attribuire ad un camion che trasportava derrate alimentari e che non era stato attaccato alla rete elettrica di bordo…il perché é facile da intuire: troppi camion e autobus erano stati stipati contemporaneamente sul Norman e non c’era più abbastanza spazio per poter fare attaccare alla rete di bordo tutti quanti così causandosi il pericolo di scintille dai motori accesi che avrebbero potuto innescare il focolaio di un incendio. Altro punto da verificarsi é perché gli impianti antincendio non lo abbiano spento: i tecnici stanno verificando che i serbatoi del diesel che alimenta il DGE e l’impianto sono praticamente pieni. Ciò segnala che non sarebbero stati utilizzati fino in fondo e quindi rimane da capire se sia stata una scelta cosciente quella di evitare di usare gli impianti o se invece non abbiano funzionato e perché.

A noi rimane quel senso di orrore per quello che abbiamo veduto, mischiato all’umana pietá per quelli, tutti, che hanno avuto la sfortuna di essere a bordo di quella trappola mortale che non solo é stata usata per evidentemente potersi ottenere il massimo profitto possibile (ed eccessivo) dal carico di troppi automezzi stipati all’inverosimile ma che nemmeno ha funzionato nei propri sistemi di emergenza essenziali per carenze tecniche e per la palese impreparazione del personale di bordo che, oltretutto, si é macchiato della colpa peggiore di avere abbandonato al proprio destino le persone a loro affidate. Cercheremo di fare luce su tutte le manchevolezze, le colpe e le impreparazioni che si sono verificate per amore di verità e per sete di Giustizia, Giustizia per il Norman Atlantic. Con ancora nelle narici e in gola l’odore della morte che promana da quel girone infernale che é stato il Norman.

Cesare G. Bulgheroni


avvocati Alessandra Guarini, Cesare Bulgheroni e Massimiliano GabrielliIl sopralluogo è stato difficile e pericoloso. Siamo saliti al buio, passando attraverso le carcasse bruciate dei tanti mezzi stipati a bordo, in spazi angusti e pericolanti. Abbiamo tutti immediatamente compreso che il carico era eccessivo! L’aria era irrespirabile ed insalubre! Ogni parte della nave è deformata dalle fiamme e le superfici sono sconnesse e scivolose. Con i periti e i consulenti abbiamo cercato ogni elemento utile a ricostruire le cause dell’incendio e del perché i dispositivi di sicurezza non abbiano funzionato. Rimane il “mistero” della scatola nera e dei dati mancanti: il disco interno recuperato dalla nave é bruciato mentre quello esterno, contenuto nella capsula galleggiante, é stato oggetto di una attività di lettura nella fase delle indagini, eseguita senza che venisse fatta una copia forense e con conseguente alterazione dell’originale. Ad oggi mancano proprio i files audio, fondamentali per ricostruire quanto accaduto a bordo la notte dell’incendio! Per questo abbiamo chiesto ai periti di verificare ogni circostanza utile ad escludere eventuali manomissioni.

Foto 12-06-15 09 41 52Ho visto molto orrore dentro quella nave completamente divorata dalle fiamme. Ho visto sul ponte più alto le paratie dove per giorni hanno trovato riparo i naufraghi in attesa dei soccorsi. Ho visto gli zaini dei bambini, i blocchi e le matite usati per distrarli dalla tragedia che stavano vivendo. Siamo rimasti stupiti della richiesta della società Anek Line di cancellare il logo ancora visibile sul fianco del relitto per evitare pubblicità negativa, visto che proprio davanti a quel molo attraccano le grandi navi da Crociera! Ma non riusciranno a cancellare la memoria della tragedia e delle vittime!  L’avv. Massimiliano Gabrielli, l’Avv. Cesare Bukgheroni ed io del legal team “Giustizia per il Norman Atlantic” non dimenticheremo i passeggeri e nemmeno ciò che abbiamo visto e respirato tra quelle lamiere contorte. Staremo a fianco delle vittime affinché la verità sia accertata e i colpevoli puniti!

Avv. Alessandra Guarini


CLICCA PER VEDERE LE FOTO DELL’ACCESSO A BORDO DEL NORMAN ATLANTIC – PICTURES FROM THE INSIDE OF THE SHIP 

Fuego en el ferry “SORRENTO” a Palma de Mallorca: Servicio de ayuda a los pasajeros

imagen-del-ferry-sorrento-palma-de-mallorcaUn nuevo incendio en otro ferry con bandera italiana ha sucedido hoy 04/28/2015 en las cercanías de Palma de Mallorca, exactamente cuatro meses después de la tragedia del Norman Atlantic del 28/12/2014: el ferry “Sorrento“, de la misma clase y capacidad, el mismo proyecto de construcción y con el mismo incidente de fuego a bordo que se extendió por todo el barco, pero esta vez parece afortunadamente sin pérdida de vidas y lesiones graves. El fuego se produjo poco después de la salida del puerto español de Palma de Mallorca en la mañana de hoy; el ferry de bandera italiana (propiedad del armador italiano Grimaldi Lines) fue fletado por Transmediterránea española.

Dada la gravedad de la situación que se desarrolló inmediatamente a bordo, se decidió a abandonar el barco. El Ministerio de Fomento español dijo que el capitán no quería inicialmente evacuar el ferry pero los pasajeros y la tripulación, finalmente abandonaron el barco en llamas en los botes salvavidas.

Todos los pasajeros y miembros de la tripulación fueron rescatados por otras embarcaciones en la zona, incluyendo el buque italiano “Puglia” propiedad de la Tirrenia, alquilado a la empresa española Balearia.

exterior_sorrentoEl incendiose produjo como en el Atlantic Norman, en el garaje, en la cuarta cubierta del ferry y luego se ha extendido a otras áreas de la nave. A bordo iban la tripulación compuesta por 45 personas y 160 pasajeros, incluyendo 14 italianos, además de la carga de automóviles y camiones. La operación de rescate, que involucró a numerosos barcos, tuvo lugar en aguas españolas y fue coordinada por la Guardia Costera, con la ayuda de la Guardia Costera italiana, como un buque de bandera italiana.

sorrento-incendio-grimaldiLos pasajeros pueden confiar en nuestro pull legal para reclamar daños y perjuicios de inmediato, para encontrar la mejor opción y en acciones legales pertinentes (civil y/o penal) y recibir la mejor atención para las acciones de Derecho Marítimo.

Le sugerimos en este momento la mejor marera de proceder, no sólo con una breve guía sobre cómo y cuándo hacer una reclamación, pero la forma de obtener la compensación máxima, y un pequeño manual a seguir, dada la gran experiencia en desastres marítimos siguiente el naufragio de la Costa Concordia Atlántico y la Norman:

QUÉ HACER, algunas sugerencias preliminares:

  • Haga una lista de sus bienes (joyas, equipos electrónicos, dinero, ropa, etc ..) perdidos en el naufragio.
  • Recuperar documentos de viaje (correo electrónico bono, agencias de viajes, etc ..) y documento con los gastos incurridos por los viajes y para la repatriación.
  • Para aquellos que han sufrido lesiones guardar copias de los certificados médicos y gastos, sin embargo, en el momento de vuelta a casa valorar la posibilidad de acudir a su médico para valorar su estado de ansiedad y el estrés psicológico como trastorno de estrés postraumático o “trastorno de estrés postraumático”.
  • Póngase en contacto con nuestra oficina para que se pueda enviar al instante y de forma totalmente gratuita primera carta para la solicitud daños y perjuicios a la Compañía Cruceros (la llamada carta de acción legal), que rompe cualquier prescripción (no hay 10 días como usted puede haber oído en las noticias de televisión, pero es preferible enviar tan pronto como sea posible la notificación de sus daños con el fin de efectuar los intereses legales).
  • En caso de lesiones se deberá formalizar las pertinentes acciones legales penales y presentar una queja dentro de los tres meses después del hecho (recomendado).
  • No firme ningún formulario de reembolso o el papel de las empresas Líneas Grimaldi o Tansmediterranea.

Todo el procedimiento con nuestros abogados se realizará online, sin necesidad de desplazarse físicamente a nuestras oficinas, a través de conexiones de correo electrónico y vídeo web, o si lo prefiere mediante reunión presencial con nuestros abogados en las principales ciudades de España, o en nuestras oficinas en Milán, Roma o Fiumicino o la mayoría de las ciudades italianas.

SOBRE NOSOTROS: Somos un grupo de abogados, expertos en desastres marítimos, como el caso del Costa Concordia donde hemos sido referentes entre las partes civiles en el juicio por el naufragio del Costa Concordia, en el que todavía estamos inmersos en la defensa de un grupo de un centenar de pasajeros en el procedimiento penal contra Francesco Schettino, en el juicio que se ejecuta en el fuego Norman Atlantic fuera de las costas griegas, y somos los representantes de las partes civiles, desde las primeras etapas de las investigaciones en todos las principales causas penales italianas relacionadas con intereses comunes a las víctimas de lesiones personales (justicia para las víctimas del amianto), o por la pérdida financiera de números de masa (la justicia para las víctimas de los seguros EFS crack), como en muchos otros pasos procesales para proteger a las víctimas de desastres en masa y daños de serie.

IMG_6571QUÉ ESTAMOS HACIENDO: como en el caso de Norton Atlantic, en relación con las reclamaciones civiles de daños y perjuicios, ya hemos iniciado los trámites para solicitar una indemnización por todos los pasajeros del ferry que ya estamos asistiendo – el envío de solicitudes formales de indemnización para cada uno de los supervivientes, mientras que desde el punto de investigación y proceso penal, vamos a presentar de inmediato un primer grupo de quejas ante el Ministerio Público en Grecia, con peticiones para apoderarse de los activos y bienes de las dos empresas involucradas, líneas Grimaldi y Transmediterránea, con garantía la indemnización por daños y perjuicios a nuestros clientes. Somos los únicos abogados, hasta la fecha, que ha propuesto en el caso de Norman Atlantic al Ministerio Público esta importante medida de protección, para futuras compensaciones de las víctimas, en caso de que las compañías de seguros, por cualquier razón, trataran de rechazar pagar. Es, obviamente, fundamental para tener la máxima adhesión posible de pasajeros, para dar por un lado un mayor impulso a nuestra solicitud de embargo de bienes de las empresas, y por otra parte para poder – de esta manera – garantizar la cobertura a través de la incautación de activos y a través de nuestras iniciativas en su favor.

QUÉ DEBE HACER PARA SOLICITAR UNA COMPENSACIÓN DE DAÑOS: se deberá acreditar que estaba a bordo de la nave Sorrento por medio de las tarjetas de embarque de Transmediterránea o mediante la prueba de su presencia a bordo de uno de los barcos o helicópteros de rescate. Además, deberá acreditar todos los gastos soportados por el incidente, así como los certificados médicos y/o un certificado del psicólogo-psiquiatra sobre el estado de ansiedad y de estrés postraumático (si existe), preferiblemente de un instituto público médico. El plazo para presentar una denuncia penal es de 90 días desde el momento del suceso, pero sería conveniente iniciar inmediatamente las acciones pertinentes mediante el envío de una carta solicitando daños y las denuncias penales. NOTA QUE EL PLAZO PARA PRESENTAR LA QUEJA ES 90 DÍAS A PARTIR DEL SUCESO.

QUÉ OFRECEMOS: el pool legal de “Justicia para el Norman Atlantic” le ofrece asistencia jurídica no sólo para obtener la máxima indemnización, a través de nuestro equipo de abogados expertos. Es necesario tener en cuenta el procedimiento implicará algunos asuntos muy peculiares, las leyes marítimas y de la conexión con el crimen investigaciones: como consecuencia del delito, intencional o no, el seguro y las empresas involucradas pueden negarse a pagar, hasta el final de la fase de investigación, a no ser que se vean forzados a través de quejas y acciones de incautación. La opción caso civil, que algunos bufete de abogados griego sugiere, es en este momento el camino más desconocido, por calendario y los resultados. Contamos con una experiencia específica en desastres marítimos y de masas, como el del Concordia, y por esta razón estamos muy confiados en nuestras posibilidades y en las opciones para obtener mejores resultados de nuestros clientes.

CUÁLES SON LOS GASTOS LEGALES: trabajamos en un método transparente y muy, no será necesaria una provisión de fondos y será a coste cero para los clientes. El sistema de pago se realizará por medio de pacto sobre la cantidad que se obtenga por nuestras gestiones. La asistencia cubre por completo todas las fases del procedimiento desde la parte extrajudicial hasta la judicial si fuera necesaria.

Póngase en contacto con nosotros por teléfono o correo electrónico, SIN COMPROMISO, consulta gratuita y asistencia letrada inmediata de nuestros abogados, ASISTENCIA JURÍDICA EN INGLÉS, ESPAÑOL Y griego. Abogados albaneses disponibles.

  • Help line 24/h                               +39 340 2602504 
  • email                                               info@agenzialegale.net
  • Fiumicino (operative office)           +39 06 89019172
  • Roma                                               (Avv. Massimiliano Gabrielli)
  • Milano                                             (Avv. Cesare Bulgheroni)
  • Biella                                                (Avv. Alessandra Guarini)
  • Spain                                                (Avv. Luis Felipe Garcia)

sorrento-incendio-grimaldiENGLISH: A new fire on another ferry flying the Italian flag happened today 04/28/2015 off Palma de Mallorca, exactly four months after the tragedy of the Norman Atlantic  28/12/2014: the ferry “Sorrento“, the same class of ro-ro pax, the same construction project and the same fire extended throughout the ferry but this time seems fortunately without loss of life and serious injuries. broke out in the morning the fire on board Sorrento Italian flag (property of the italian shipowner Grimaldi Lines), chartered to the Spanish Transmediterranea shortly after departure from the Spanish port of Palma de Mallorca.

Given the gravity of the situation which developed immediately on board, it was decided to abandon ship. The Spanish Ministry of Works said the captain did not initially want to evacuate the ferry but passengers and crew eventually left the burning boat in lifeboats.

All passengers and crew members were rescued by other ships discovered in the area, including the Italian ship “Puglia” Tirrenia owned, leased to the Spanish company Balearia.

exterior_sorrentoThe fire broke out juast as happened on the Norman Atlantic, in the garage, on the 4th deck of the ferry and has then expanded to other areas of the ship. Onboard were the crew of 45 people and 160 passengers, including 14 Italians, in addition to the load of cars and trucks. The rescue operation, which involved numerous ships, took place in Spanish waters and was coordinated from Madrid Iberian Coast Guard, with the help from Rome of the Italian Coast Guard, as the vessel flies the Italian flag.

Passengers can rely on our legal pool to claim damages immediately, to find the right choice and on legal action to be activated (civil and/or criminal) and receive the best care for the Maritime law actions.

We suggest you right now what to do, not only with a brief guide on how and when to make a claim, but how to get the maximum compensation, and a small handbook to follow, strong of the experience at the forefront of maritime disasters following the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia and Norman Atlantic:

WHAT TO DO, some early suggestions:

  1. Make a list of your goods (jewelry, electronic equipment, money, clothes, etc..) lost in the shipwreck.
  2. Retrieve travel documents (voucher email, travel agency etc..) and document any expenses incurred for travel and for repatriation.
  3. For those who have suffered injuries keep copies of medical certificates and expenses, however, as you get home go to your doctor for medical report of anxiety and psychological stress as PTSD or “post traumatic stress disorder”.
  4. Please contact our Law Agency office to send instantly and totally free of charge first letter for the damages request, to the Cruises Company (so-called letter of legal action), which breaks any prescription (there are not 10 days as you might have heard on Tv news, but it is preferable to send as soon as possible notice of your damages in order to effect the legal interests).
  5. In case of injury this shall be subject to criminal legal action and file a complaint within three months after the fact (recommended).
  6. Do not sign any reimbursement form or paper from the Grimaldi or Tansmediterranea lines companies
  7.  The whole procedure with our office will take place online, without the need to physically visit our Offices, via email and web video connections, or if you prefer by making an appointment in major cities of Spain, or at our offices in Milano, Rome or Fiumicino or most of Italian cities.

We have activated a BLOG WITH ALL THE WRECK INFO & NEWS and a Chatline for advice on compensation for Sorrento wreck


ABOUT US: We are a group of lawyers, experts in Ship & mass disaster, as pool “Giustizia per la Concordia” we have been leaders among the civil parties in the crime trial for the shipwreck of Costa Concordia, in which we are still engaged in defending a group of about one hundred passengers in hearings against Francesco Schettino, in the trial running on the Norman Atlantic fire out of the Greek coasts, and we are, as civil parties and prominent leaders, from the early stages of investigations in all Italian major criminal cases involving common interests to victims of personal injury (justice for asbestos victims) or for financial loss of mass numbers (justice for victims of crack SAI insurance), as in many other procedural steps to protect victims of mass disaster and serial damages.

IMG_6571WHAT WE ARE DOING: as in the Norton Atlantic case, on the side of the civil requests of damages, we have already initiated procedures to request compensation for all passengers of the ferry that we are already assisting – sending formal requests for compensation for each of the survivors, while from the criminal investigation & trial point of view, we will immediately  file a first group of complaints to the Public Prosecutor in Greece, with requests to seize assets and goods of the two Companies involved, Grimaldi lines and Transmediterranea, to guarantee the compensation for damages to our clients. We are the only lawyers, up to the date, to have proposed in the Norman Atlantic case to the Public Prosecutor this important protection measure, for the victim’s future compensations, in the event that the insurance companies, for whatever reason, would try to refuse to pay. It is obviously fundamental to have the maximum possible adhesion from passengers,  to give on one hand greater impetus to our request to seize Companies’ assets, and in the other hand to be able – in this way – to ensure coverage through the seizure of assets  and trough our other initiatives in your favor. Check our LATEST NEWS from the top menu.

WHAT YOU NEED TO ACT FOR DAMAGE COMPENSATION: as the passengers list might be incomplete, you must be able to demonstrate that you were onboard of the Sorrento ship: even without the coupon ticket of Transmediterranea, it could be sufficient to prove your presence on board of one of the ships or helicopters that have rescued passengers; please keep all the receipts of the expenses you paid and need to pay and the medical certificates, please record the transfer and any further expenses in which you incurred to return home and to get medical opinions and visits; get yourself a certificate of a medical psychologist-psychiatrist about the state of anxiety and post traumatic stress (if present), preferably from a public medic institute. The time limit to file a  criminal complaint is of 90 days from the  moment of the sinking, but you should immediately start actions, sending a letter requesting damages and proposing our criminal complaints files. NOTE THAT THE TERM TO FILE A COMPLAINT IS 90 DAYS FROM THE FACT. 

WHAT WE PROVIDE YOU: the pool of “Giustizia per il Norman Atlantic” offers you a global and 360° legal assistance not only to get the maximum compensation, through our team of experienced attorneys with law firms present on virtually the entire territory in Italy, but we  also provided help to single survivors and groups of them to get back home forcing Anek Lines to ensure and pay for returns, and refund the costs of first needs, and we are providing more and more passengers informations and assistance to take a decision. We offer a full package of trust, even giving you the chance to get, for the forensic final report, the technical opinion of Prof. Giovanni De Girolamo, who is the leading expert of PTSD in Italy, already our consultant in the Costa Concordia’s case  and one of the experts appointed by our Ministries in catastrophic events such as Chernobyl, who will provide and examine the psychological consequences as a result of your participation in a highly traumatic experience such as the burning of the Sorrento or the Norman Atlantic and and being for 72 hours on top board, in harsh physical conditions, in order to relate effectively and targeting to be compensated in the right measure. Please note, You should consider that the compensation issue will involve some very peculiar matters, as maritime laws and connecting it to the crime investigations: as a result of a crime, intentional or not, the insurance and the involved companies might refuse to pay, until the end of the investigation phase, unless we push them through complaints and seizure actions. Not all the lawyers will be able to handle the case properly, and you should consider that Italy has the jurisdiction on the criminal procedure, so you might end up doubling the costs for an italian and uk/greece firm. The civil case option, that some greek law firm is suggesting, is at the moment the most unknown path, for timing and results. We have a specific experience on maritime & mass disaster, such as Concordia Shipwreck, and for this reason we are very confident on our means and on possibile choices for our client’s best results.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL COSTS: we operate in a very clear and absolute transparent method, there is no need of any anticipated payment and we carry out the assistance without requesting any retainer and with zero costs for the Clients, the only expense that remains on your side is for medical certificates; obviously our lawyers do not work for free; the payment system is regulated as a contingency fees’ pact that predicts to leave to lawyers for their assistance a percentage of the amounts that will be earned as compensation in your favor.  For this case it is the best possible, virtuous and beneficial deal for the victims of the tragedy, since, without having to anticipate any expense or risk to pay thousands of euro in fees for legal actions, our lawyers will have to work to get the possible maximum compensations in your interest in the shortest time as possible. The assistance of our pool covers entirely any cost either for the phase out of court (letters and notices damages, negotiations, meetings, transactions, etc.) and either the actions that we are promoting and we intend to promote on behalf of all of our Clients (complaints, request for seizure, represent you as civil part in the criminal trial etc. etc.).

The whole procedure of transmission of documents and updates will be predominantly ONLINE through the blog, without the need to physically visit our Offices, or via email and web videoconferences, or by setting a traditional telephone call or in person at one of our offices, virtually across Italy entirely, or in Greece or in Albany.

We opened a helpline and a web forum for passengers to exchange informations and advices on the possible compensations in regard of the shipwreck – fire Norman Atlantic

Contact us by phone or email now, NO COMMITMENT OF EXPENSES, free consultation, immediate responses of our lawyers, FULL ENGLISH SPOKENSPANISH, Greek and Albanian lawyers available.

  • Help line 24/h                        +39 340 2602504
  • email                                     info@agenzialegale.net
  • Fiumicino (operative office)           +39 06 89019172
  • Roma                                               (Avv. Massimiliano Gabrielli)
  • Milano                                             (Avv. Cesare Bulgheroni)
  • Biella                                               (Avv. Alessandra Guarini)
  • Spain                                               (Avv. Luis Felipe Garcia)

Fire of the “SORRENTO” ferry: HELPLINE for passengers

sorrento-incendio-grimaldiA new fire on another ferry flying the Italian flag happened today 04/28/2015 off Palma de Mallorca, exactly four months after the tragedy of the Norman Atlantic  28/12/2014: the ferry “Sorrento“, the same class of ro-ro pax, the same construction project and the same fire extended throughout the ferry but this time seems fortunately without loss of life and serious injuries. broke out in the morning the fire on board Sorrento Italian flag (property of the italian shipowner Grimaldi Lines), chartered to the Spanish Transmediterranea shortly after departure from the Spanish port of Palma de Mallorca.

Given the gravity of the situation which developed immediately on board, it was decided to abandon ship. The Spanish Ministry of Works said the captain did not initially want to evacuate the ferry but passengers and crew eventually left the burning boat in lifeboats.

All passengers and crew members were rescued by other ships discovered in the area, including the Italian ship “Puglia” Tirrenia owned, leased to the Spanish company Balearia.

exterior_sorrentoThe fire broke out juast as happened on the Norman Atlantic, in the garage, on the 4th deck of the ferry and has then expanded to other areas of the ship. Onboard were the crew of 45 people and 160 passengers, including 14 Italians, in addition to the load of cars and trucks. The rescue operation, which involved numerous ships, took place in Spanish waters and was coordinated from Madrid Iberian Coast Guard, with the help from Rome of the Italian Coast Guard, as the vessel flies the Italian flag.

Passengers can rely on our legal pool to claim damages immediately, to find the right choice and on legal action to be activated (civil and/or criminal) and receive the best care for the Maritime law actions.

We suggest you right now what to do, not only with a brief guide on how and when to make a claim, but how to get the maximum compensation, and a small handbook to follow, strong of the experience at the forefront of maritime disasters following the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia and Norman Atlantic:

WHAT TO DO, some early suggestions:

  1. Make a list of your goods (jewelry, electronic equipment, money, clothes, etc..) lost in the shipwreck.
  2. Retrieve travel documents (voucher email, travel agency etc..) and document any expenses incurred for travel and for repatriation.
  3. For those who have suffered injuries keep copies of medical certificates and expenses, however, as you get home go to your doctor for medical report of anxiety and psychological stress as PTSD or “post traumatic stress disorder”.
  4. Please contact our Law Agency office to send instantly and totally free of charge first letter for the damages request, to the Cruises Company (so-called letter of legal action), which breaks any prescription (there are not 10 days as you might have heard on Tv news, but it is preferable to send as soon as possible notice of your damages in order to effect the legal interests).
  5. In case of injury this shall be subject to criminal legal action and file a complaint within three months after the fact (recommended).
  6. Do not sign any reimbursement form or paper from the Grimaldi or Tansmediterranea lines companies
  7.  The whole procedure with our office will take place online, without the need to physically visit our Offices, via email and web video connections, or if you prefer by making an appointment in major cities of Spain, or at our offices in Milano, Rome or Fiumicino or most of Italian cities.

We have activated a BLOG WITH ALL THE WRECK INFO & NEWS and a Chatline for advice on compensation for Sorrento wreck


ABOUT US: We are a group of lawyers, experts in Ship & mass disaster, as pool “Giustizia per la Concordia” we have been leaders among the civil parties in the crime trial for the shipwreck of Costa Concordia, in which we are still engaged in defending a group of about one hundred passengers in hearings against Francesco Schettino, in the trial running on the Norman Atlantic fire out of the Greek coasts, and we are, as civil parties and prominent leaders, from the early stages of investigations in all Italian major criminal cases involving common interests to victims of personal injury (justice for asbestos victims) or for financial loss of mass numbers (justice for victims of crack SAI insurance), as in many other procedural steps to protect victims of mass disaster and serial damages.

CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

 WHAT WE ARE DOING: as in the Norton Atlantic case, on the side of the civil requests of damages, we have already initiated procedures to request compensation for all passengers of the ferry that we are already assisting – sending formal requests for compensation for each of the survivors, while from the criminal investigation & trial point of view, we will immediately  file a first group of complaints to the Public Prosecutor in Greece, with requests to seize assets and goods of the two Companies involved, Grimaldi lines and Transmediterranea, to guarantee the compensation for damages to our clients. We are the only lawyers, up to the date, to have proposed in the Norman Atlantic case to the Public Prosecutor this important protection measure, for the victim’s future compensations, in the event that the insurance companies, for whatever reason, would try to refuse to pay. It is obviously fundamental to have the maximum possible adhesion from passengers,  to give on one hand greater impetus to our request to seize Companies’ assets, and in the other hand to be able – in this way – to ensure coverage through the seizure of assets  and trough our other initiatives in your favor. Check our LATEST NEWS from the top menu.

WHAT YOU NEED TO ACT FOR DAMAGE COMPENSATION: as the passengers list might be incomplete, you must be able to demonstrate that you were onboard of the Sorrento ship: even without the coupon ticket of Transmediterranea, it could be sufficient to prove your presence on board of one of the ships or helicopters that have rescued passengers; please keep all the receipts of the expenses you paid and need to pay and the medical certificates, please record the transfer and any further expenses in which you incurred to return home and to get medical opinions and visits; get yourself a certificate of a medical psychologist-psychiatrist about the state of anxiety and post traumatic stress (if present), preferably from a public medic institute. The time limit to file a  criminal complaint is of 90 days from the  moment of the sinking, but you should immediately start actions, sending a letter requesting damages and proposing our criminal complaints files. NOTE THAT THE TERM TO FILE A COMPLAINT IS 90 DAYS FROM THE FACT. 

WHAT WE PROVIDE YOU: the pool of “Giustizia per il Norman Atlantic” offers you a global and 360° legal assistance not only to get the maximum compensation, through our team of experienced attorneys with law firms present on virtually the entire territory in Italy, but we  also provided help to single survivors and groups of them to get back home forcing Anek Lines to ensure and pay for returns, and refund the costs of first needs, and we are providing more and more passengers informations and assistance to take a decision. We offer a full package of trust, even giving you the chance to get, for the forensic final report, the technical opinion of Prof. Giovanni De Girolamo, who is the leading expert of PTSD in Italy, already our consultant in the Costa Concordia’s case  and one of the experts appointed by our Ministries in catastrophic events such as Chernobyl, who will provide and examine the psychological consequences as a result of your participation in a highly traumatic experience such as the burning of the Sorrento or the Norman Atlantic and and being for 72 hours on top board, in harsh physical conditions, in order to relate effectively and targeting to be compensated in the right measure. Please note, You should consider that the compensation issue will involve some very peculiar matters, as maritime laws and connecting it to the crime investigations: as a result of a crime, intentional or not, the insurance and the involved companies might refuse to pay, until the end of the investigation phase, unless we push them through complaints and seizure actions. Not all the lawyers will be able to handle the case properly, and you should consider that Italy has the jurisdiction on the criminal procedure, so you might end up doubling the costs for an italian and uk/greece firm. The civil case option, that some greek law firm is suggesting, is at the moment the most unknown path, for timing and results. We have a specific experience on maritime & mass disaster, such as Concordia Shipwreck, and for this reason we are very confident on our means and on possibile choices for our client’s best results.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL COSTS: we operate in a very clear and absolute transparent method, there is no need of any anticipated payment and we carry out the assistance without requesting any retainer and with zero costs for the Clients, the only expense that remains on your side is for medical certificates; obviously our lawyers do not work for free; the payment system is regulated as a contingency fees’ pact that predicts to leave to lawyers for their assistance a percentage of the amounts that will be earned as compensation in your favor.  For this case it is the best possible, virtuous and beneficial deal for the victims of the tragedy, since, without having to anticipate any expense or risk to pay thousands of euro in fees for legal actions, our lawyers will have to work to get the possible maximum compensations in your interest in the shortest time as possible. The assistance of our pool covers entirely any cost either for the phase out of court (letters and notices damages, negotiations, meetings, transactions, etc.) and either the actions that we are promoting and we intend to promote on behalf of all of our Clients (complaints, request for seizure, represent you as civil part in the criminal trial etc. etc.).

The whole procedure of transmission of documents and updates will be predominantly ONLINE through the blog, without the need to physically visit our Offices, or via email and web videoconferences, or by setting a traditional telephone call or in person at one of our offices, virtually across Italy entirely, or in Greece or in Albany.

We opened a helpline and a web forum for passengers to exchange informations and advices on the possible compensations in regard of the shipwreck – fire Norman Atlantic

Contact us by phone or email now, NO COMMITMENT OF EXPENSES, free consultation, immediate responses of our lawyers, FULL ENGLISH SPOKENSPANISH, Greek and Albanian lawyers available.

  • Help line 24/h                        +39 340 2602504
  • email                                     info@agenzialegale.net
  • Fiumicino (operative office)           +39 06 89019172
  • Roma                                               (Avv. Massimiliano Gabrielli)
  • Milano                                             (Avv. Cesare Bulgheroni)
  • Biella                                               (Avv. Alessandra Guarini)
  • Spain                                               (Avv. Luis Felipe Garcia)

Incendio sul traghetto italiano SORRENTO: risarcimento ai passeggeri

 

sorrento-incendio-grimaldiUn nuovo incendio su un altro traghetto battente bandiera italiana è avvenuto oggi 28.04.2015 a largo di Palma di Mallorca, esattamente 4 mesi dopo la tragedia del Norman Atlantic del 28.12.2014: il traghetto “Sorrento“, stessa classe di navi ro-ro Pax, stesso progetto di costruzione e stesso incendio esteso su tutta l’imbarcazione ma questa volta sembra per fortuna senza perdite umane e feriti gravi. E’ divampato in mattinata il fuoco a bordo della motonave Sorrento battente bandiera italiana (di proprietà dell’armatore Grimaldi Lines), noleggiata alla compagnia  spagnola Transmediterranea poco dopo la partenza dal porto spagnolo di Palma di Mallorca.

Vista la gravità della situazione da subito sviluppatasi a bordo, è stato deciso l’abbandono della nave. Tutti i passeggeri ed i membri dell’equipaggio sono stati tratti in salvo da altre navi accorse in zona, tra cui la nave italiana “Puglia” di proprietà Tirrenia, noleggiata alla compagnia spagnola Balearia

exterior_sorrentoL’incendio sarebbe divampato come sul Norman Atlantic nel locale garage, sul ponte 4 del traghetto e si è poi esteso ad altre aree della nave. A bordo c’erano l’equipaggio composto da 45 persone e 160 passeggeri, tra cui 14 italiani, oltre al carico di auto e camion.  L’intervento di soccorso, che ha coinvolto numerose navi, è avvenuto in acque spagnole ed è stato coordinato da Madrid dalla Guardia Costiera iberica, con il concorso da Roma della Guardia Costiera italiana, visto che il vascello batte bandiera italiana.

I passeggeri possono affidarsi al ns pool per reclamare da subito il risarcimento danni, orientarsi sulla scelta sulla azione legale da attivare (civile o penale) e ricevere la migliore assistenza per la scelta sul percorso legale.

Noi Vi suggeriamo sin da subito cosa fare, con un breve guida non solo su come e quando richiedere il risarcimento, ma come ottenere il massimo risarcimento, ed un piccolo vademecum da seguire, forti della esperienza in prima linea nei disastri marittimi a seguito del naufragio della Costa Concordia nel quale – a capo del pool di avvocati “Giustizia per la Concordia“, abbiamo rappresentato circa cento passeggeri nel processo penale contro il Comandante Schettino e siamo protagonisti delle azioni civili e risarcitorie per molti altri passeggeri che in precedenza si erano affidati ad agenzie per gestione dei sinistri, alle associazioni di categoria o dei consumatori, rimanendo tagliati fuori dal processo penale e dalle altre iniziative processuali in Italia che abbiamo promosso efficacemente da subito.

SIAMO INTERVENUTI NEL PROCESSO ROGO NORMAN PER CONTO DI UN VASTO GRUPPO DI PASSEGGERI Continua a leggere

Norman Atlantic investigation and probative procedure close to a crucial start

IMG_6571Prosecutors that are investigating on the Norman Atlantic case, as soon as the transfer of the ship from Brindisi to Bari will take place, will begin the process of trial evidence probative accident; it is important to proceed with the formalization of passengers positions to the Prosecutor’s office in Bari, presenting the complaints form that we have provided and we are sending on behalf of all our clients;  it is also urgent to start claims for passengers and victim’s relatives damage compensation for the disaster, through a letter of the law firm to the companies Visemar and Anek Lines, as well as insurance. Please contact us for a free and immediate advice.


I Pubblici Ministeri che indagano sul caso Norman Atlantic, non appena il trasferimento della nave da Brindisi a Bari avrà luogo, daranno il via al procedimento di incidente probatorio; è importante procedere alla formalizzazione delle posizioni dei passeggeri alla Procura della Repubblica di Bari, presentando la denuncia-querela che abbiamo fornito e stiamo inviando a nome di tutti i nostri clienti; è anche urgente avviare le richieste di risarcimento danni dei passeggeri e parenti delle vittime del disastro, attraverso una lettera dello studio legale alle società Visemar e Anek Lines, così come alle assicurazioni. Contattateci per una consulenza gratuita ed immediata.


Οι εισαγγελείς που ερευνούν την υπόθεση Norman Ατλαντικού, μόλις η μεταβίβαση του πλοίου από Πρίντεζι προς Μπάρι θα πραγματοποιηθεί, θα ξεκινήσει η διαδικασία της δίκης αποδεικτικών στοιχείων αποδεικτικής ατύχημα? είναι σημαντικό να προχωρήσει με την επισημοποίηση των επιβατών θέσεις στο γραφείο του Εισαγγελέα στο Μπάρι, παρουσιάζοντας τα παράπονα αποτελούν ότι έχουμε δώσει και στέλνουμε για λογαριασμό όλων των πελατών μας? είναι επίσης επιτακτική ανάγκη να αρχίσουν απαιτήσεις για τους επιβάτες και τους συγγενείς αποζημίωσης για ζημίες του θύματος για την καταστροφή, μέσα από μια επιστολή του δικηγορικού γραφείου για τις εταιρείες Visemar και Anek Lines, καθώς και ασφάλιση. Παρακαλούμε επικοινωνήστε μαζί μας για μια ελεύθερη και άμεση παροχή συμβουλών.


Prokurorët që po hetojnë mbi rastin Norman Atlantik, sa më shpejt transferimin e anijes nga Brindisi për në Bari do të zhvillohet, do të fillojë procesin e provave gjyq aksidenti dëshmuese; është e rëndësishme që të vazhdojë me formalizimin e udhëtarëve pozitave të zyrës së Prokurorit në Bari, duke paraqitur ankesat formë që ne kemi dhënë dhe ne jemi të dërguar në emër të të gjithë klientët tanë; ajo është gjithashtu urgjente për të filluar pretendimet për udhëtarët dhe të afërmit kompensimin viktimës dëmit për katastrofën, përmes një letre të firmës ligjit të kompanive Visemar dhe Anek Lines, si dhe sigurim. Ju lutemi të na kontaktoni për një këshillë të lirë dhe të menjëhershme.


Yer alacak Bari, Brindisi geminin transferi en kısa sürede, Norman Atlantik davayla ilgili soruşturma Savcılar, deneme kanıt delil kaza süreci başlayacak; bu şikayetleri sağladık ve tüm müşterilerimiz adına gönderme olduğunu formu sunulması, Bari Cumhuriyet Savcılığı’na yolcu pozisyonların resmileştirilmesi devam etmek önemlidir; o yolcu ve şirketlerin VISEMAR ve Anek Hatları hukuk firması bir mektupla felaket için kurbanın yakınları hasar tazminat, iddialarını, hem de sigorta başlatmak için de acil. Özgür ve acil tavsiye için bizimle irtibata geçiniz.


Les procureurs qui enquêtent sur l’affaire Norman Atlantique, dès que le transfert du navire de Brindisi à Bari aura lieu, vont commencer le processus de témoignage au procès accident probante; il est important de procéder à la formalisation des passagers postes au bureau du procureur de Bari, présentant les plaintes font que nous avons fourni et nous envoyer au nom de tous nos clients; il est également urgent de commencer revendications pour les passagers et les parents dommages la rémunération de la victime de la catastrophe, par une lettre du cabinet d’avocats pour les entreprises Visemar et Anek Lines, ainsi que l’assurance. Se il vous plaît nous contacter pour un conseil gratuit et immédiat.

Mr. Metaxopoulos to Eleftheros Typos: “It is better for the Greek victims to address Italian Lawyers with their case”.

Interview given by our partner in Athens Mr. Metaxopoulos to a major, widely distributed Greek newspaper (Eleftheros Typos).

“It is better for the Greek victims to address Italian Lawyers / to approach Italian Lawyers with their case”.

KET_2501_030_CMYK

KET_2501_031_CMYK

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NORMAN ATLANTIC Compensations for passenger’s damages: what to do!

 

norman atlantic in fiamme

For the passengers and workers of the Norman Atlantic ship, property of “Visemar di Navigazione” fleet and operated by the Agenzia Archibugi , destroyed by fire out of Greece costs, now begins the ordeal of seeking for damages compensation, and the hard choice between the possible legal action to activate (civil or criminal) and on the choice of a lawyer’s office to trust.

We suggest you right now what to do, with a short handbook on how to get the maximum compensation as a result of our deep experience on disaster of the Costa Concordia as leaders of the legal pool “Giustizia per la Concordia“, for personal injury, material damages, compensation for ruined vacation, compensation for lost property and items, expenses for transportation, etc.. etc..; we have represented about a hundred passengers in the criminal trial against Captain Schettino and we are leaders of civil actions for many other passengers who previously had entrusted other law firms, or consumer’s associations, as they ended being cutted off from the criminal trial and other procedural initiatives in Italy we promoted effectively and immediately . Continua a leggere

ΝΟΜΙΚΗ ΥΠΟΣΤΗΡΙΞΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΑΤΥΧΗΜΑ ΤΟΥ NORMAN ATLANTIC: ΠΩΣ ΘΑ ΔΙΕΚΔΙΚΗΣΕΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΖΗΜΙΩΣΗ

ΝΟΜΙΚΗ ΥΠΟΣΤΗΡΙΞΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΑΤΥΧΗΜΑ ΤΟΥ NORMAN ATLANTIC: ΠΩΣ ΘΑ ΔΙΕΚΔΙΚΗΣΕΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΖΗΜΙΩΣΗ

Για τους επιβάτες και το προσωπικό του πλοίου Norman Atlantic, ιδιοκτησία του στόλου της εταιρίας “Visemar di Navigazione” και υπό διαχείριση της εταιρίας Agenzia Archilbugi, που καταστράφηκε λόγω πυρκαγιάς λίγο έξω από τις ελληνικές ακτές, μόλις ξεκινάει η περιπέτεια για την αξίωση αποζημίωσης και η δύσκολη επιλογή της κατάλληλης νομικής οδού (αστικό ή ποινικό δίκαιο) και δικηγορικής εταιρίας, που θα αναλάβει τη διαχείριση μιας τόσο δύσκολης υπόθεσης. Τι μπορείτε να κάνετε για να λάβετε τη μέγιστη δυνατή αποζημίωση; Λόγω της συμμετοχής και εμπειρίας μας στην περίπτωση του ναυαγίου «Costa Concordia» μπορούμε να σας βοηθήσουμε να εγείρετε αξιώσεις για σωματικές και υλικές βλάβες , αποζημίωση για απώλεια περιουσιακών στοιχείων, δαπάνες μεταφοράς, αποζημίωση για μη ολοκλήρωση του πακέτου διακοπών κλπ. Έχουμε εκπροσωπήσει στο παρελθόν 100 επιβάτες στην ποινική δίκη κατά του Καπετάνιου του Costa Concordia, κ.Schettino και έχουμε συμβουλέψει εκατοντάδες άλλους επιβάτες σχετικά με αγωγέnorman atlantic in fiammeς που είχαν κατατεθεί είτε από άλλους δικηγόρους ή από ενώσεις καταναλωτών, που αρχικά δεν αποκλείσθηκαν από την ποινική δίκη αλλά με τη συμβολή μας καταφέραμε να τους εκπροσωπήσουμε άμεσα και αποτελεσματικά. Μην απευθυνθείτε σε Ενώσεις Καταναλωτών και δικηγόρους που δεν έχουν πείρα στο ναυτικό δίκαιο. Μην συμμετέχετε σε ομαδικές αγωγές. Η αποδοτικότερη λύση είναι να προσφύγετε ατομικά ενώπιον των δικαστηρίων για όσες βλάβες έχετε υποστεί. Πολλές δικηγορικές εταιρίες και σύνδεσμοι καταναλωτών δηλώνουν δημόσια πως οι ομαδικές αγωγές είναι ο πιο αποτελεσματικός τρόπος να διεκδικήσει ο επιβάτης αποζημίωση και μάλιστα προσδιορίζουν ήδη την αποζημίωση σε 10.000€ τουλάχιστον. Πιστεύουμε ότι οι αποζημιώσεις θα είναι υψηλότερες στην περίπτωση του Norman Atlantic καθώς υπάρχουν αρκετές ιδιαιτερότητες, όπως η εγκατάλειψη του πλοίου εν πλω σε σφοδρή κακοκαιρία (7-8 μποφόρ) που καθιστούσε τις προσπάθειες διάσωσης και περισυλλογής των ναυαγών εξαιρετικά δυσχερή. Οι συγκλονιστικές μαρτυρίες των επιβατών αποδεικνύουν την ιδιαίτερα δυσχερή κατάσταση: «Καιγόμαστε και βυθιζόμαστε, κανείς δεν μπορεί να μας σώσει», «Βοήθεια, είμαστε στο πλοίο ολομόναχοι», «Τα παπούτσια μας λιώνουν από τα φλεγόμενα πατώματα». Περίπου 150 άτομα διασώθηκαν από τις σωσίβιες λέμβους του Norman Atlantic, αλλά λόγω των κακών καιρικών συνθηκών η μεταφορά προς τα ελληνικά διασωστικά πλοία ήταν πολύ δύσκολη έως ακατόρθωτη. Πολλές από τις σωσίβιες λέμβους καήκαν από την φωτιά. Παράλληλα κάποια ελικόπτερα της ελληνική αεροπορίας προσπαθούσαν να διασώσουν μερικούς από τους 512 συνολικά επιβαίνοντες στο πλοίο. Όλοι οι επιβάτες δικαιούνται αποζημίωση από συμβατική ευθύνη της πλοιοκτήτριας εταιρίας, αλλά δικαιούνται και αποζημίωση για τις τυχόν παραβάσεις των προδιαγραφών των κανονισμών ασφαλείας καθώς και για τυχόν πλημμέλεια της πλοιοκτήτριας εταιρίας σχετικά με την ασφαλή προετοιμασία του πληρώματος για παρόμοιες καταστάσεις. Αυτοί οι παράγοντες μπορούν να επιδράσουν αυξητικά ως προς το ύψος της αποζημίωσης, κατά τη θεωρία της τιμωρητικής αποζημίωσης ή punitive damages , όπου σύμφωνα με το Δίκαιο των ΗΠΑ, επιπροσθέτως της τυπικής αποζημίωσης για βλάβες το δικαστήριο επιδικάζει τιμωρητική αποζημίωση ώστε να αποτρέψει την εταιρία από μελλοντικές τέτοιες εγκληματικές παραλείψεις. Γιατί η ομαδική αγωγή δεν ενδείκνυται; Μπορείτε να προστατέψετε τα δικαιώματά σας και να λάβετε την υψηλότερη δυνατή αποζημίωση. Οι ομαδικές αγωγές ενδείκνυται όταν πολλοί ενάγοντες για τους ίδιους λόγους απαιτούν μια μετριοπαθή αποζημίωση κάνοντας χρήση ενός δικηγόρου συλλογικά με σκοπό τη μείωση των εξόδων και αμοιβών. Η ζημία που προκύπτει από την εν πλώ πυρκαγιά στο Norman Atlantic δεν συνιστά μια τυπική περίπτωση αποζημίωσης κατά τις συνήθεις διαδικασίες των ενώσεων καταναλωτών κλπ. Η ατομική προσφυγή δίνει τη δυνατότητα να αξιοποιηθούν όλα τα ένδικα μέσα και να μην περιοριστεί ο ενάγων στην ελάχιστη αποζημίωση που συνήθως επιδικάζουν τα δικαστήρια σε περιπτώσεις ομαδικών αγωγών. Εξειδικευόμαστε στη μεσολάβηση και στην εξωδικαστική επίλυση διαφορών, η οποία ενδείκνυται για τη γρήγορη και άμεση εξασφάλιση αποζημίωσης απευθείας από την πλοιοκτήτρια εταιρία. Η εταιρία μας διαθέτει έμπειρους νομικούς συμβούλους και συνεργάτες στην Ιταλία (Ρώμη, Μιλάνο, Φιουμιτσίνο) με εξειδικευμένη γνώση κυρίως όσον αφορά τη Σύμβαση των Αθηνών σχετικά με τη θαλάσσια μεταφορά επιβατών και των αποσκευών τους. Για παράδειγμα, δίνεται η δυνατότητα βάσει της Σύμβασης των Αθηνών, σε περιπτώσεις αγωγής αποζημίωσης για σωματική βλάβη και θάνατο, ο ενάγων να επιλέξει την πιο ευνοϊκή δικαιοδοσία, δηλαδή την Ιταλική. Το εισιτήριο της κρουαζιέρας αναφέρει πως το Ιταλικό Δίκαιο ισχύει. Σε περιπτώσεις σωματικών βλαβών ο Ιταλικός Νόμος παρέχει πιο εκτεταμένα μέσα θεραπείας σε σχέση με τον Ελληνικό Νόμο. Το να βασιστείτε σε ενώσεις καταναλωτών, να εμπιστευθείτε αλλοδαπές δικηγορικές εταιρίες ή δικηγόρους που δεν ειδικεύονται σε αυτόν τον τομέα, θα οδηγήσει αναπόφευκτα στον διπλασιασμό των δικαστικών εξόδων και των χρεώσεων ανά ώρα που θα βαρύνουν οικονομικά εσάς. Παρακαλώ λάβετε υπόψη σας ακόμα ότι κάποιες μεγάλες εταιρίες ανά τον κόσμο απλά θα παρακάμψουν τους πελάτες τους στην ιταλική ένωση καταναλωτών, η οποία συνδέεται με δικηγόρους και ιταλικές δικηγορικές εταιρίες, προσπαθώντας να συγκεντρώσουν ικανό αριθμό ατόμων ώστε να καταθέσουν ομαδική αγωγή και θα σας ζητήσουν το μέγιστο των εξόδων επί της ομαδικής αγωγής με βάση υπολογισμού το ποσοστό του αμερικάνικου νομικού συστήματος: 40% των χρημάτων που θα κερδίσετε με την αγωγή! Επομένως, με το να καταθέσετε την ομαδική αγωγή μαζί τους, θα δώσετε τα χρήματά Σας στα διεθνή δικηγορικά γραφεία, στις ενώσεις καταναλωτών και στις ιταλικές δικηγορικές εταιρίες. Το δικηγορικό μας γραφείο στην Ιταλία (με γραφεία στο Μιλάνο, στη Ρώμη και στο Φιουμιτσίνο) αποτελείται από μία ομάδα πλήρως αγγλομαθών δικηγόρων, ειδικών σε υποθέσεις αποζημιώσεων σε περιπτώσεις ναυαγίων και στο ναυτικό δίκαιο, που εξασκούν το δίκαιο του τουρισμού και των ταξιδίων, καθώς και ειδικών στη μεσολάβηση. Χειριζόμαστε καθημερινά υποθέσεις είτε αστικής είτε/ και ποινικής δικαιοδοσίας σε ζητήματα αποζημιώσεων και ναυτικά θέματα. Για τη διεξαγωγή μίας υποθέσεως στην Ιταλία απαιτείται Ιταλός δικηγόρος που θα λάβει μέρος στη δίκη, επομένως αν ήδη έχετε κάποιον δικηγόρο που εμπιστεύεστε στη χώρα σας μπορούμε να συνεργαστούμε μαζί του, να χειριστούμε την υπόθεση υπό τις υποδείξεις του και να οδηγήσουμε την υπόθεση με την εμπειρία μας στο ιταλικό δίκαιο και την πρακτική στα εγχώρια δικαστήρια. Η εταιρία δεν έχει ακόμα επίσημα ανακοινώσει το πλήρες πακέτο αποζημίωσης για τους επιβαίνοντες στο πλοίο κατά τη διάρκεια της πυρκαγιάς. ΤΙ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ ΝΑ ΚΑΝΕΤΕ. ΜΕΡΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΩΤΕΣ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΕΣ: 1. Φτιάξτε μία λίστα όλων των πραγμάτων σας (κοσμήματα, ηλεκτρονικός εξοπλισμός, χρήματα, ρούχα κτλ) που χάθηκαν στο ναυάγιο. 2. Αναζητήστε τα ταξιδιωτικά έγγραφα (παραστατικό του ταξιδιού από ηλεκτρονικό ταχυδρομείο – e-mail-, ταξιδιωτικό πρακτορείο κτλ) και καταγράψτε όλα τα έξοδα ταξιδιού και επαναπατρισμού που κάνατε. 3. Για όσους από εσάς τραυματιστήκατε, κρατείστε αντίγραφα ιατρικών πιστοποιητικών και εξόδων, ενώ μετά την επιστροφή σας επισκεφθείτε το γιατρό σας για να εκδώσει ιατρική γνωμάτευση για άγχος και ψυχολογικό στρες οφειλόμενο σε «διαταραχή μετατραυματικού στρες» (PTSD). 4. Παρακαλώ επικοινωνήστε με τη δικηγορική μας εταιρία προκειμένου να στείλετε αμέσως και εντελώς δωρεάν ένα πρώτο έγγραφο με το οποίο θα ζητάτε αποζημίωση στην πλοιοκτήτρια (στο εξής έγγραφο δικαστικής διεκδίκησης), το οποίο διακόπτει κάθε παραγραφή ή και αποσβεστική προθεσμία (δεν πρόκειται για 10 ημέρες, όπως ίσως ακούσατε στις ειδήσεις στην τηλεόραση, αλλά σε κάθε περίπτωση είναι προτιμότερο να στείλετε το συντομότερο δυνατό το έγγραφο με τη ζημία που υπεστήκατε ώστε να εκκινήσει η νόμιμη τοκοφορία). 5. Σε περίπτωση τραυματισμού, αυτός υπόκειται στην ποινική διαδικασία και πρέπει να καταθέσετε έγκληση μέσα σε τρεις μήνες από το συμβάν (συστήνεται). 6. Η όλη διαδικασία με το γραφείο μας θα λάβει χώρα διαδικτυακά, χωρίς να απαιτείται η φυσική σας παρουσία στα γραφεία μας, μέσω ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου (e- mail) και μέσω διασυνδέσεων με κάμερα στο διαδίκτυο. Άλλως αν το προτιμάτε, μέσω προσωπικής συνάντησης στα γραφεία μας στο Μιλάνο, στη Ρώμη ή στο Φιουμιτσίνο ή και στις περισσότερες ιταλικές πόλεις. 7. Έχουμε ανοίξει μία γραμμή επικοινωνίας για συμβουλές αποζημιώσεως στην περίπτωση του ναυαγίου Concordia. ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ: προσωπική παρουσία δεν απαιτείται εκτός σπάνιων και ειδικών περιπτώσεων. Δεν πιστεύουμε έτσι κι αλλιώς ότι θα οδηγηθούμε σε δίκη, καθώς η πιθανότητα συμβιβασμού που θα προκύψει από τη διαδικασία της μεσολάβησης, ενισχύεται από την ποινική υπόθεση και τα αποτελέσματα των ερευνών. Έτσι, το γραφείο μας εξουσιοδοτείται να λειτουργεί εξ ολοκλήρου διαδικτυακά, με ειδικές συνδέσεις βίντεο, πολύ εύκολες στη χρήση. Όλες οι αιτήσεις, τα έγγραφα και οτιδήποτε χρειαστεί θα αναρτηθεί στην ιστοσελίδα, θα σταλεί με ηλεκτρονικό μήνυμα, ή στην περίπτωση των πρωτότυπων εγγράφων μέσω ταχυδρομείου. Πιστεύουμε ότι όλοι οι επιβάτες θα δικαιούνται αποζημίωσης διαταραχής μετατραυματικού στρες (PTSD), επομένως είναι καλό να αποκτήσετε μία γνωμάτευση ειδικού ιατρού κατά την επιστροφή σας και να κρατήσετε όλες τις αποδείξεις στο όνομά σας. Προκειμένου να προχωρήσουμε προς όφελός σας, είναι επείγον να στείλετε την επιστολή στην οποία θα αξιώνετε τις καταγραφείσες ζημίες, αν δεν το έχετε ήδη πράξει. Αυτό θα είναι χωρίς καμία χρέωση, όπως και όλες οι άλλες δικές μας πρωτοβουλίες για λογαριασμό σας, καθώς λειτουργούμε υπό τη βάση κοινής συμφωνίας, ότι εάν δεν πάρετε τα λεφτά σας δεν θα αναζητήσουμε τα έξοδα και τις χρεώσεις μας. Είναι τόσο απλό. Εμείς θα πρέπει να έχουμε αντίγραφο του εισιτηρίου σας και κατόπιν αυτού θα λάβετε από εμάς όλα τα έγγραφα: ερωτηματολόγια, την αναφορά και το συμφωνητικό. Λάβετε παρακαλώ υπόψη σας ότι το γραφείο μας κάνει μία σημαντική προσπάθεια να συγκεντρώσει όλες τις λεπτομέρειες από τους επιβάτες και τις αρχές, προκειμένου να καταθέσει μήνυση για όλους τους πελάτες μας, διότι πιστεύουμε ότι αυτός είναι ο καλύτερος και ο πιο αποτελεσματικός τρόπος να ανοίξει ο δρόμος προς την αλήθεια για το τι συνέβη και για τα περιουσιακά στοιχεία της εταιρίας προκειμένου να επιτευχθούν υψηλές αποζημιώσεις. Είμαστε πεπεισμένοι ότι θα εμπιστευθείτε κυρίως την αφοσίωσή μας στο συμφέρον σας. Επικοινωνήστε μαζί μας τώρα, χωρίς δέσμευση χρέωσης, για δωρεάν συμβουλές και άμεσες απαντήσεις!

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