After the sinking of El Faro, those who tried to make claims against the company—either for loss of life or loss of cargo—came up against the limitation law. Families of the dead were dismayed to discover that they had the burden of proving that the company’s deliberate malfeasance led to the vessel’s unseaworthiness, which led to its undoing. The law even precluded the plaintiffs’ right to a jury trial. All families would eventually settle with the company for undisclosed amounts.
