Liability, awards and settlements

26.8, ferry crash, wrongful death claim settlement

US: the widow of a victim of a deadly ferry crash settled a wrongful death claim against the city of New York for $8.7mn. Kathy Healy’s husband, John Healy, died in the Oct. 15, 2003, tragedy on board the Staten Island ferry Andrew J.Barberi . A trial had been scheduled to start in Brooklyn federal court. A jury began hearing testimony in a separate suit brought by ferry rider James McMillan Junior after settlement talks in his case failed. McMillan was left a quadriplegic by the accident and needs around-the-clock care. The jurors are expected to make a recommendation on how much money he should receive in damages, with the final decision up to US District Judge Jack Weinstein. The city’s Law Department said it believed the Healy settlement was in the best interest of all parties. The city settled 127 claims arising from the ferry crash for about $45.7mn, with 44 cases remaining, the Law Department said.