Firms cite law in Missouri boat accident, seek mediation

Two companies facing multiple lawsuits over a summer tourist boat accident in Missouri that killed 17 people, including nine members of an Indiana family, have invoked an 1851 law that allows vessel owners to try to avoid or limit legal damages as they also seek settlement negotiations with victims' family members.

Attorneys for Ripley Entertainment Inc., based in Orlando, Florida, and Branson Duck Vehicles of Branson, Missouri, cited the federal law in a filing Monday in federal court, where multiple lawsuits are pending.

Among the suits is one from Indianapolis resident Tia Coleman, who lost her husband, children and five other relatives on the boat.

If a judge concludes that the law applies, claims for damages over the July 19 accident on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, could be consolidated into a single federal court case. The petition states that under the federal law, the companies would not owe any damages because the boat carried no freight and was a total loss.

But the filing came less than a week after attorneys for Ripley and Branson Duck Vehicles asked U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool for a 90-day extension of court filing deadlines so that they could pursue a potential settlement. Harpool said he would consider the request at a Nov. 1 hearing.

Ripley spokeswoman Suzanne Smagala-Potts said the type of filing made Monday is "common in claims related to maritime incidents." She said the goal is to delay the multiple court cases to give the parties time for mediation.

"We have reached out to those most impacted by the accident and offered to mediate their claims now," Smagala-Potts said in a statement. "Mediation often leads to faster resolution and allows those affected to avoid a lengthy process of litigation, and most importantly, begin the healing process."

Ripley owns the Ride the Ducks operation on Table Rock Lake, while Branson Duck Vehicles owned the boats. Their request last week for a delay in court deadlines said parties in the lawsuits are "actively working" to schedule mediation to resolve the federal and state court lawsuits.

And Smagala-Potts said Monday that two Kansas City-area attorneys experienced in mediation have agreed to lead negotiations and would consult with Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Sly James, who also is an attorney.

The tourist duck boat capsized in rough water on the lake after a storm moved through the area. The victims included nine members of an Indiana family, and one federal lawsuit is seeking $100 million in damages on behalf of two of the deceased family members.

Attorneys for the victims' family members in that lawsuit did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment.

That lawsuit says the boat operators violated the company's policies by continuing with the ride despite the weather warnings and by not telling passengers to put on life jackets when the water got rough. The boat's driver instead lowered plastic side curtains, which further trapped passengers, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also cites an August 2017 report from a private inspector who warned Ripley Entertainment that the vessels' engines—and pumps that remove water from their hulls—were susceptible to failing in bad weather. And it accuses the defendants of ignoring warnings issued by the National Transportation Safety Board that the vehicles, which are designed to operate on land and water, should be upgraded to ensure they remain upright and floating in bad weather.

Ripley Entertainment has said that the boat's sinking was "an unforeseeable and unintentional occurrence."

In its latest filing, it said the boat was "in all respects and properly manned, equipped and supplied" and that its sinking was not caused by "any fault, neglect or want of care" by the companies.