Implosion of the Titan: Family of victim files 50M$ lawsuit against OceanGate

The OceanGate Titan saga, marked by the catastrophic accident that led to the destruction of a tourist submarine and the death of its passengers during an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic, continues with the announcement that the family of French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet, who perished in the incident, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, seeking $50 million in damages.

Explorer’s family could have difficulty winning their lawsuit against Titan sub owner, experts say https://t.co/TGCNre2zct

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 9, 2024

Paul-Henri Nargeolet was one of five passengers aboard the Titan when, on June 18, 2023, a sudden interruption in communications signaled his disappearance.

This triggered one of the largest maritime search operations ever undertaken, lasting several days.

Unfortunately, it was later established that the submersible had suffered a massive pressure drop, causing it to implode and resulting in the death of all its passengers.

Right from the start of the search operations, the quality of the Titan’s design was called into question, not least because the designer boasted of having deviated from the strict standards imposed by the industry for the construction of craft capable of withstanding the high pressures of the seabed.

Among other things, he had chosen to use carbon fiber to build the Titan’s hull, rather than titanium.

Many pointed to carbon fiber as one of the main factors contributing to the aircraft’s implosion.

In addition, they pointed out that the Titan was controlled by a simple Logitech gamepad, similar to those used for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and that using such a controller in such a hostile environment represented another questionable design choice.

In a lawsuit filed by the family in King County, Washington, the plaintiffs claim that carbon fiber can break under stress, unlike titanium, which is strengthened by repeated pressure.

According to the lawsuit, the Titan’s crew was aware of the gravity of the situation, as the craft dropped weights in a desperate attempt to halt its descent some 3,500 meters below the Titanic’s level.

A system designed to detect the cracking of carbon fiber under stress would have alerted crew members to the impending failure of the ship, most likely causing terror and mental anguish prior to implosion, according to the lawsuit.

So this case is far from over.

In addition to the $50 million lawsuit filed by the family of one of the victims, an in-depth investigation into the circumstances of the disaster is still underway.

In addition, a public hearing is scheduled for next September.