A judge in Madrid has acquitted the crew members as well as a major official, of causing a large oil spill off the coast of Spain in 2002. While the crew was cleared of charges, the captain of the oil tanker was sentenced to 9 months in prison. The captain was found guilty of trying to stop the wreck from being towed before the oil spilled.
The oil tanker was wrecked due to a storm. Afterwards, the tanker lost its oil, creating a massive oil slick. The ship actually broke apart which caused it to unload more than 60,000 tons of fuel into the sea. The spill coated beaches in France, Spain, and Portugal with thick, black oil. The oil also accounted for killing tens of thousands of sea birds. After the incident, hundreds of thousands of volunteers turned out to help with cleaning the beaches.
According to reports, the tanker may have had structural damage before it left to sea. The captain was sentenced because he failed to comply with Spanish officials who ordered him to tow the tanker out to sea to reduce the possible environmental hazards.
Every country has maritime laws in place; many of the maritime laws are universal. In cases such as this, or where any injuries have occurred, the victims should discuss the accident with an experienced Pasadena maritime attorney. A maritime lawyer specializes in handling these types of accidents and has the experience and expertise to successfully resolve serious matters and protect your rights.
Offshore workers have rights. One of the most important of these rights is to seek legal assistance in the event they suffer an injury. Any time an injury occurs it is important to talk to a legal team, such as a Pasadena maritime attorney. The best time to talk to an attorney is as soon as the incident happens. Talk to a Pasadena maritime attorney to learn more about your rights.
1,505 Replies to “Spain Oil Disaster Crew Acquitted”
Comments are closed.