The ship was discovered in 1985 by an American oceanographer, Robert Ballard, and his team of scientists. So far about 6,000 artefacts have been recovered from the wreck. The wreck of the Titanic wasn’t discovered for 74 years, when it was found just over 2 miles under the sea. The boat sank at a speed of 10 miles per hour, taking just 15 minutes for it to reach the bottom of the ocean. Sadly none of the band members were lucky enough to survive. There was a band on board and some survivors reported that the band carried on playing music while the ship was sinking. He was a proud man and didn’t even attempt to leave the sinking ship. The Captain of the famous Titanic was Edward John Smith. The engineers who designed the Titanic thought it was ‘unsinkable’ because it had fifteen separate, water-tight hulls. Over 1500 people died only 715 people survived. The boat hit an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland late at night on April 14, 1912, and sank in the early hours of April 15. Although there were over 2200 people on board, there were only enough lifeboats for just over half of them. The boat sailed from Southampton for its first voyage with 2,223 people on board (1,324 were passengers and 885 were crew). Many of those travelling third class were families who were trying to set up a new life for themselves in America. To travel first class on the Titanic would have set you back £875 – but for those travelling third class, it was about £20! The ship was built to carry about 3,500 people. will weigh your case and assist you in receiving what you deserve.Ĭall us today at (281) 283-8500 to get started.The Titanic was on its ‘maiden voyage’, or first voyage, when it sank.
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If you or a loved one has experienced a maritime accident due to negligence, call a knowledgeable and highly-skilled Houston maritime injury lawyer today for a free case evaluation. Talk to the Houston Maritime Injury Lawyers from The Krist Law Firm P.C.Įven with all the regulations that were put in place after the Titanic, the seas can still be a very dangerous place. This act calls for rightful compensation and recovery for the injured party. This federal law has many components, but also allows a ship employee or “seaman” injured at sea to file a lawsuit against their employer. The Jones Act or the Merchant Marine Act was passed in 1920. Coast Guard runs the International Ice Patrol. International Ice Patrolįirst developed in 1914, the International Ice Patrol was founded to alert any sea vessels traveling in the shipping routes of Europe, Canada, and the United States of any icebergs.
In addition, after the passage of this act, all radio operators were required to obtain a license to promote the credibility and responsibility of operators. This requires that all sea vessels have a 24-hour radio system in place to stay in contact with other ships on the water and coastal radio stations. These changes all contributed to better, safer, and more reliable sea travel. The ship’s bulkheads were made higher so water could not get in and bottoms were stretched to create double hulls. Changes to Ship DesignsĪfter the Titanic, ships started being redesigned for better safety. SOLAS was developed after the sinking of the Titanic in 1914, but was not fully adopted until 1974. These requirements and more were a part of SOLAS, whose primary purpose is to set and hold safety standards for merchant ships. There would also be required lifeboat drills and inspections to divert another mass boat-sinking accident. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)Īfter the sinking of the Titanic, the British and American Boards of Inquiry decided that ships should carry enough lifeboats for everyone on the ship.
The Houston injury lawyers at The Krist Law Firm, P.C can evaluate your case during a free consultation and assist you in filing your claim. If you or a loved one has experienced an injury in a maritime accident, you may be able to recover damages. Learn more about how the Titanic changed maritime law below. With the passing of new policy, ships now had better safety procedures and construction, constant contact with others on the sea and coastal radio stations, and rightful compensation for maritime injuries. After the sinking of the Titanic, several acts and laws were passed seeking to avoid another catastrophe.