More than three years after the downfall of the car transport ship MS “Felicity Ace”, compensation in the millions is disputed in court. From today, the Braunschweig district court deals with the civil proceedings in which two non -closer companies of the Volkswagen Group are complained about. The owner and shipping company of the ship as well as insurance demands compensation in the three -digit million range.
The special ship was on the way from Emden to the USA loaded with around 4,000 new cars from the VW group. At the level of the Azores it caught fire on February 16, 2022. Half a month later, it fell on a towing test. The cause of the fire has been controversial since then.
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Was a battery the trigger?
The seven plaintiffs are convinced that the battery of an electric car ignited itself. The defendants deny this according to the court. They claim that the fire has a different cause and the sinking of the ship could have been prevented by prudent action.
As usual for civil proceedings, according to the court, there was also an attempt at an amicable settlement in this case. However, mediation was not successful, so that it is now a negotiation. At such opening dates, the judge usually initially introduced the procedure, said a court spokesman. It is about naming the legal sticking points from the chamber’s point of view.
Insurers demand better extinguishing systems
With the introduction, the parties to the dispute usually get an impression in which direction the procedure could go. Further discussions with the attempt to settle are then possible at any time.
After the devastating fire on a freighter, the overall association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV) had asked for better extinguishing systems on such huge transport ships. “In the case of goods values of up to 500 million euros on board, these ships should be invested in more security,” said GDV general manager Jörg Asmussen at the time.