Explorer's family could have difficulty winning their lawsuit against Titan sub owner, experts say
Legal experts say a lawsuit stemming from the Titan submersible disaster felt inevitable, but winning a big judgment against the owner of the vessel could be very difficult
PORTLAND, Maine — A lawsuit stemming from the Titan submersible disaster felt inevitable, but winning a big judgment against the owner of the vessel could be very difficult, legal experts said on Thursday.
The family of French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of five people who died aboard the submersible in June 2023, filed a more than $50 million civil lawsuit against submersible owner OceanGate earlier this week. Nargeolet's estate said in the lawsuit that the crew aboard the sub experienced “terror and mental anguish” before the sub imploded and its operator was guilty of gross negligence.
Now comes the hard part — winning in court.
Legal experts said Nargeolet's estate may get some money from the lawsuit, but it could be a fraction of the amount sought. It's also unclear if there will be any money available, as OceanGate has since shut down operations, they said.
Some say that the passengers onboard the Titan assumed risk when they got aboard an experimental submersible headed for the Titanic wreck site.
“They made choices to go do this, and it seems to me it was a 50/50 shot anyway it was going to work," said John Perlstein, a personal injury lawyer in California and Nevada. “They bear responsibility too, as well as the guy who built and piloted this thing.”
Nargeolet's estate filed its lawsuit on Tuesday in King County, Washington, as OceanGate was a Washington-based company. A spokesperson for OceanGate declined to comment on aspects of the lawsuit.
Attorneys for Nargeolet's estate are hinging their case in part on the emotional and mental
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