KANSAS CITY – An entertainment company facing lawsuits over the death of 17 people in July is requesting the dismissal of some of the lawsuits brought forward from victims' families and survivors.
Ripley Entertainment, the company that owns Ride the Ducks, and several other businesses are named as defendants in lawsuits. Seventeen individuals died on July 19 when a duck boat sank in Table Rock Lake during a thunderstorm.
Following the incident and filings from survivors and family members of the deceased, however, motions to dismiss some of the lawsuits were filed from Ripley Entertainment.
The motions for dismissal come after the defendant has stated that the incident was "unforeseeable and unintentional," and that the vessel in question was "certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as in full compliance with applicable regulations," according to an article in the Kansas City Star.
The requested dismissals are for lawsuits from several family members of victims and survivors alike who are being represented by attorney Andrew Duffy, partner at The Law Firm of Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Duffy spoke with the St. Louis Record concerning the motions and his dedication to his clients.
"We will vigorously oppose the recently filed motions to dismiss," Duffy told St. Louis Record. "Nothing in these filings will prevent any victim from moving forward with their case."
In a recent article on NationalPost.com, Duffy also commented on the situation, calling his clients' complaints "well-pled." These complaints include claims that the boat company should have suspended the boat tour, given the weather conditions and that the design of the boat predisposed its risk of sinking.
No decision has been made on motions for dismissal yet, or if Ripley will be hit with criminal charges. Duffy had no comment on what this development means for the future of the case.