The Ride the Ducks boat tour company indefinitely suspended tours nationwide after one of the company's amphibious boats caught on fire when hit by a barge and sank on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The duck boats are known for easily transitioning between water and road, where dozens of tours are offered each day in several U.S cities.
There are many legal issues that Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are raising after an incident like this, which has resulted in two deaths and eight hospitalized victims. Associated Press reports that the safety of the duck boats, in particular, have been called into question because it's not exactly clear of when the Philadelphia duck boat was last inspected.
The Ride the Ducks company is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment, which is located near Atlanta and operates Camden's Adventure Aquarium, the Dollywood theme park, and many water and adventure parks. The company has had several accidents in the past, including a 1999 incident in which a duck boat sank in Hot Springs, Arkansas after a bilge pump failed. Thirteen out of the 21 people aboard died in the accident.
The barge that hit the duck boat last week was owned by the city of Philadelphia and was being directed by a tugboat owned by K-Sea Transportation Partners of East Brunswick, New Jersey. Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are saying that the K-Sea Transportation may soon be getting hit with lawsuits over the incident, including wrongful death lawsuits by families of the victims.
Related Resources:
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Barge and Tour Boat Collide in Philadelphia (FindLaw's Injured Blog)
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Proving Fault: What is Negligence? (FindLaw)
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