Should Viking Have Set Sail? Class Action Lawsuit Has Questions

Viking Cruises is facing a class action lawsuit from passengers from an incident that ravaged both the boat and the passengers traveling on the vessel.

The Viking Sky incurred engine failure off the coast of Norway on March 23. That left the vessel stranded and vulnerable to high powered seas – an an unforgettable ordeal for over 1,300 passengers.

At least 20 people suffered injuries during the incident. Norwegian rescue teams were sent in to airlift some passengers – hundreds – but not all. The following morning, the vessel regained power and finally docked in Molde, Norway.

Now, per a report on ABC News, “a New Jersey couple, Axel and Lauren Freudmann, among those on board, filed a class-action lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, individually and on behalf of other passengers, claiming that the cruise line “negligently sailed through notoriously perilous waters into the path of a bomb cyclone,” despite severe weather warnings.”

The lawsuit outlines that weather forecasts for the area showed an intense cyclone and extreme and severe wind gusts were expected. Though the cruise line was aware, passengers were not aware of the severity of the warnings and possible weather. The lawsuit also maintains that the ships engines were negligently maintained and not adequately fit for powering through the extreme weather conditions.

Passengers in the class action are seeking $10 million dollars in damages from Viking Cruises.

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*Video courtesy of ABC News