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LAKE GEORGE--As the lawsuits compound in the October capsizing of the tour boat Ethan Allen on Lake George, it appears that Shoreline Cruises, the boat’s owner, doesn’t have adequate insurance to cover the losses.
Shoreline, the boat’s captain Richard Paris and Shoreline Tours Inc. of Canada, the tour’s organizer, are the target of lawsuits by at least 10 victims or their relatives.
The 38-foot glass enclosed Ethan Allen was hosting a group of senior citizens from Michigan and Ohio on an hour-long fall foliage tour along the Lake George shoreline on Oct. 2 when it capsized and sank in 70 feet of water, killing 20 of the 47 passengers on board. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the cause of the accident and expects to release a preliminary report in the coming weeks.
Shoreline’s insurance carrier, Global Property Owners Association of Plantation, Fla., says that Shoreline carried only a commercial general liability policy which was limited to claims occurring on land. The insurance company reportedly encouraged Shoreline to add maritime coverage to their policy several years ago but to no avail.
Troy attorney E. Stewart Jones who has recently filed two more claims for relatives of victims of the boating mishap says that Shoreline has only a $2 million insurance policy which won’t cover the accident and which Jones has termed “grossly inadequate”.
James Quirk, owner of Shoreline says that he was led to believe that he carried maritime insurance. Quirk has said that the policy his company had covered the boat when it was in the water but the insurance company says otherwise.
Jones says if there isn’t any insurance coverage then either a mistake has been made or a fraud committed.
Michael Allweiss of St. Petersburg, Fla., attorney for Shoreline Cruises, says that the company may have been the victim of an insurance fraud which left the company with no insurance coverage. “The bottom line appears to be that Shoreline Cruises were victimized by a fairly elaborate insurance scam”, Alweiss said.
There is no requirement in New York State for private and commercial boats to be insured any more than there was any state requirement that the passengers aboard wear life jackets.
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno says the issue will be addressed in the next legislative session. 2-21-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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