Father Can't Assert Seaworthiness Claim for Boating Accident That Killed Son

A federal trial court judge ruled that the father of a 5-year old boy who was killed in a boating accident could not assert a viable claim against the owner of the ship allegedly at fault for a breach of the duty of seaworthiness. Case: Hancock v. Higman Barge Lines, No. 16-14998, 08/18/2017. Facts: On the evening of July 30, 2016, Darrell Hancock took his son, Ethan, on a “frogging” trip. Their boat ran out of fuel in a canal near the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway in Lafourche Parish. Hancock attempted to manually pilot the boat across the GIW to reach a docking area where they co...