$16 MILLION SETTLEMENT REACHED IN 2020 BLOUNT ISLAND SHIP FIRE THAT INJURED 11 FIREFIGHTERS

On 4th June, 2020 a fire broke out on a Norwegian car carrier ship named Hoegh Xiamen on Blount Island, Florida, USA. A spark from the battery of one of the cars on-board the cargo ship is believed to be the reason behind the fire which resulted in an explosion. The fire resulted in $40 million in damage and saw eleven Jacksonville firefighters sent to the hospital for treatment of severe burns. Fortunately there were no deaths reported. It took firefighters more than a week to officially put out the fire, where the crews encountered temperatures reaching more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Law firm Pajcic & Pajcic represented the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The injured employees represented in the lawsuit include two chiefs, two lieutenants, two engineers, two paramedics and two firefighters.

None of the vessel’s 21 crew members reported injuries. "While its owners had the Hoegh Xiamen towed away to be scrapped, the firefighters were left with a lifetime of damages caused by the inferno," Pajcic & Pajcic said. The law firm also revealed that "Communication was impossible because the captain and crew only spoke Chinese."

"For the first time in American judice prudence, in the history of maritime law, first responders have now been recognized to have a right to hold negligent ship owners and negligent shippers accountable and responsible when they cause harm to first responders," attorney Curry Pajcic said at a news conference Monday. "Never in history of admiralty law or American jurisprudence, until this case, could a ship owner be held responsible for their conduct when they hurt our first responders."

The four defendants listed in the lawsuit, according to Pajcic & Pajcic, are Horizon, SSA, The Grimaldi Group and Höegh Autoliners.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted a detailed investigation for one and a half years after the incident. It submitted a 750 page public docket which included information pertaining to the interview transcripts, photographs and other investigative materials.

In its investigation report, the NTSB said that the car batteries weren’t disconnected and secured before the cargo ship set sail. During the investigation, NTSB officials found that the fire detection system had not been reactivated after loading was completed, which led to a delay in calling for help.

Officials also found the following safety issues during the investigation:

• Training      for and oversight of vehicle battery securement

• Regulatory      exceptions for used and damaged flammable liquid-powered vehicles

• Fire      detection system deactivation during effective emergency distress calls