Maritime Law Blog

Maersk Alabama attacked by pirates again

Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months. This time, however, the pirates were turned back by private guards aboard the U.S.-flagged ship who repelled the pirates with gunfire and a high-decibel noise device.
 
A U.S. surveillance plane monitored the cargo ship as it continued to its destination.
 
Last April, pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama and took the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips, hostage. Phillips was held captive at gunpoint for five days. Navy SEAL sharpshooters freed Phillips and killed three pirates in a nighttime rescue effort.
 
Phillip’s ordeal alerted the American public to the real dangers of modern pirates to merchant ships operating in the Horn of Africa, one of the busiest and most dangerous sea lanes in the world. Pirate attacks have increased in recent weeks as weather in the area has improved.
 
The chief cook of the vessel is suing the Maersk Line Limited, the company that owns the ship, and Waterman Steamship Corp., the company that provided the crew, for ignoring requests made by the sailors to improve safety measures on the ship while it was traveling in the pirate-infested waters of the Horn of Africa last spring.
 
Piracy is only one of the many dangers that face sailors. If you’ve been injured while on the job, contact Louisiana’s maritime experts at The Young Firm. We know maritime law, and we can tell you if you have a case.