GET THE LATEST COSTA CONCORDIA BREAKING NEWS ONLY AT PROLAW1.COM

When the Costa Concordia ran aground off the shore of the Italian island of Giglio on January 13, it occurred as the result of the captain's intentionally wrongful actions rather than unintentional negligence, attorney Mitchell Proner told reporters during his press conference in Genoa on Tuesday.  According to Proner, Captain Francesco Schettino was "saluting" a retired admiral who lived on the island by maneuvering the ship dangerously close to shore.

This salute, Proner said, was "intentional," as opposed to being "an act of negligence."

The egregiousness of the wrongful act and the possibility that such salutes are encouraged as a form of publicity by Costa Cruise Lines, the operators of the Costa Concordia, are at the heart of a $460 million lawsuit.

So far, 17 of the passengers aboard the Costa Concordia have been found dead, while as many as 18 remain missing.  Italian officials announced that they have halted the search for the missing, who are presumed dead.

The lawsuit was filed in Florida, where the parent company of Costa Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, is headquartered.  Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line company in the world.

Further details about the lawsuit are available on the website of Proner's New York law firm, Proner & Proner.  The lawsuit has been the subject of newspaper articles around the world, such as this one that appeared in the UK newspaper, The Telegraph.