Questions regarding the blockage in the Suez Canal

[PJMcK]

Who will be held responsible for the accident? Reportedly, the ship had two canal pilots directing the transit of the canal. Will they be held responsible? Or will the company that owns the ship face liability?

In a similar way, if a tractor-trailer truck hits an overpass, is the driver liable? Do they have insurance coverage? Or does their company cover the responsibility?

Thanks, in advance, for any answers.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. The ship itself is liable. It's called an "in rem" liability. It's been a while since I was in...

the business, but while pilots my be liable, they can't get insurance for that liability so nobody bothers suing them.

[getagrip_already]

2. that ship is technically salvage at this point.....

Which means the salvors can claim up to 50% of the value of the ship and cargo as compensation for saving/freeing it.

Admiralty law is complex, but this is common. So it really doesn't matter who is held responsible, the ship is toast. It's cargo is toast. It's insurance carrier is toast.

Lots of toast to go around.

[Hekate]

13. Wow

[Delphinus]

14. Wow.

I never would have known.

[former9thward]

18. And you still don't know if you are relying on internet answers.

The ship is not salvage. The rescue operation is being handled by the ship's owner.

[Delphinus]

19. Thanks for

setting me straight.

[niyad]

3. And I have one minor question. The lettering on the ship reads "EverGREEN", yet talking heads say

"everGIVEN". What is that about? What am I missing?

[dalton99a]

7. Evergreen is the company's name. Ever Given is just one of the many ships in its fleet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Marine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-class_container_ship

[Generic Brad]

10. Why could it not have been the Ever Genius?

The jokes would have written themselves.

[Xavier Breath]

11. Ever Gifted could work in this case, too.

[Towlie]

16. Maybe they'll rename it to this:

I'm getting a lot of mileage out of this image but I guess someday I'll have to stop posting it.

[niyad]

12. Thank you so much.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

17. How much ballast do these behemoths take on to keep from rolling over?

[keithbvadu2]

4. Some have suggested the possibility of the ship breaking up.

Some have suggested the possibility of the ship breaking up.

With both ends stuck, its weight is not supported evenly in the water.

I have no idea if it is that serious or not.

It is still under some pretty great stress.

(This may be a painting instead of a picture)

[captain queeg]

9. I think the ability of the ship to handle stresses is a big issue in the rescue

They are going to latch onto it with a bunch of tugs, some pulling and some pushing. That will induce stresses that were not designed for. I remember reading about a big tanker going around the cape of Good Hope where they commonly have giant rollers. The front of the ship was raised by a big wave as well as the stern. So midship wasn’t supporting much weight and the ship broke in two. That area is notorious for huge rolling waves. Makes me wonder if these huge ships are properly designed to take that route if the suez is out of action for a long time. I imagine ships are designed for what’s expected.

[dalton99a]

5. The ship is worth $170M; insured up to $140M; cargo is priceless Chinese goods

[getagrip_already]

15. china ships a lot of high dollar items....

and a container full of even apple products ain't chicken scratch.

And half of it and the ship will belong to the gov't as salvage in any case. The insurance company will pay the salvage claim up to the insured value, but the cargo owners will have a claim on whatever is left. This will be a nightmare of suits lasting decades.

But the Egyptian gov't will make out well.

[NurseJackie]

6. Is the canal filling up with sand and silt? Is it becoming more shallow? Are the banks collapsing?

How did it get as far as it did without bottoming out someplace else?

[EX500rider]

8. "How did it get as far as it did without bottoming out someplace else"

It didn't bottom out so much as go sideways and it is longer then the canal is wide.