Ripley Settles Missouri Boat Incident Lawsuits

Ripley Settles Missouri Boat Incident Lawsuits

Introduction

The owner of the duck boat that sank in 2018 in Missouri, at Table Rock Lake near Branson, killing 17 people, has settled the claims of the 31 lawsuits filed against the company. Two brothers filed a joint motion for approval of a confidential wrongful death settlement with tour boat operator Branson Duck Vehicles LLC and its parent company Ripley Entertainment Inc. According to the motion, their 68-year-old mother, along with her partner who was 69-year-old, died in the incident. Plaintiffs' attorney said that the operators were negligent, even after repeated warnings of severe weather. Ripley's spokeswoman announced that the company has now settled all the claims of the disaster that took place at Branson. She also informed that the company suspended the operator of the boat since it sank, and three of the employees are facing federal charges, including two managers. Other victims of the accident were from Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas. 14 people survived the sinking, including a crew member.