When a Tom Hanks movie just isn’t enough

Proving there is absolutely no-one like an American for a highly developed sense of bathos, it seems that more than half the crew of Maersk Alabama have decided that resisting pirates, being rescued by Navy Seals and immortalisation by Hollywood just aren’t enough by way of fame and have decided to sue Maersk for putting them in harm’s way.

The plaintiffs allege that the crew manager and Maersk ignored warnings to stay further away from the coast than the ship’s position when it was attacked. Despite behaving in an apparently heroic fashion, having thought long and hard about it, they think Maersk should pay out for their injuries and post-traumatic stress. Maersk called the case ‘meritless’.

While not making too much light of a grim situation, it should be observed that there are hundreds of seafarers who have been worse treated than the crew of the Alabama but it is the latter who are far better placed to launch expensive lawsuits than many of these. If they win of course, then the floodgates will open.

Precedent – and the fact that the USCG approved the vessel’s security plan – mean some doubts remain. But won’t release of the Tom Hanks blockbuster due to hit cinema screens in March somewhat prejudice the outcome of the trial, should it happen?