UK INSURERS FACE HUGE CLAIMS FOLLOWING GREEK FERRY DISASTER

Liabilities for lives lost as a result of the sinking of the Empress Samina last week off the Greek island of Paros, are being handled by international protection and indemnity club West of England, which is registered in Luxembourg but run from London. The club said that this was likely to be its largest loss-of-life claim in its 170-year history. Compensation claims are likely to have to go to the Greek courts. Liability for compensation to each passenger might be capped at £50,000 because Greece is a signatory to the Athens convention, which limits claims, and the Empress Samina was a Greek-flagged vessel. However, there is usually no cap if gross negligence can be proved. The vessel was insured through Lloyd’s group Brockbank.