$100M Negligence Suit Filed Against Sunken Cargo Ship’s Owner, Captain

The family of a crewmember on the cargo ship that sailed into Hurricane Joaquin and sank is filing a $100 million lawsuit against the vessel’s owner and captain. Willie Gary, an attorney representing the relatives of El Faro crew member Lonnie Jordan, said the suit was filed in Duval County Court on Wednesday. Jordan was among the 33 men and women aboard the freighter that sank Oct. 1 in 15,000 feet of water east of the Bahamas. The ship was carrying cars and other cargo en route to Puerto Rico when it lost engine power and the ability to steer away from the approaching Category 4 storm.