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Captain Francesco Schettino, now known throughout the world as the man who was piloting the Costa Concordia cruise ship when it ran aground on January 13, 2012, has been ordered by the Italian courts to remain under house arrest.  Schettino's lawyers had asked the courts to release Schettino until the investigation into his involvement in the ship wreck is complete.  The cruise ship accident resulted in the deaths of at least 17 passengers; however, more than a dozen bodies have yet to be accounted for.  For now, the search for the missing has officially been halted.

The Italian courts rejected the request of Schettino's lawyers, as well as a request by the prosecution that the captain be imprisoned.  He is currently facing a manslaughter charge in Italy.

Costa Cruise Lines, the operator of the Costa Concordia, has maintained that the accident was entirely the result of Schettino's wrongful actions and that, therefore, the company is not liable for any injuries or deaths that occurred.  Attorney Mitchell Proner has filed a $460 million lawsuit in Florida in which both Costa Cruise Lines and its parent company, Carnival Cruise Lines, are named as defendants.  While Proner believes that Captain Schettino is, in part, to blame for the accident, he maintains that the cruise line companies are also responsible, and that Schettino's actions were sanctioned by Costa Cruise Lines for "publicity" reasons.

The $460 million lawsuit has been filed on behalf of six of the ship's passengers.  The Florida courts have not yet ruled as to whether the plaintiffs can pursue litigation outside of Italy.  The terms of the cruise ship tickets included a provision that all such litigation must occur in the Italian courts; however, Proner argues that the egregiousness of the wrongful acts that led to the accident trumps the terms of the tickets.

Mitchell Proner was the first attorney to file a lawsuit in the aftermath of the Costa Concordia disaster and is currently accepting cases brought forth by passengers who wish to file individual claims against the cruise lines.

For further information about Costa Concordia litigation, please contact Proner & Proner immediately.