Personal Injury Solicitors

The parents of a young woman who went missing off the coast of Mexico on a Disney cruise ship have announced they are suing the company for £45,000.

Rebecca “Bex” Coriam, 24, from Chester disappeared in March 2011 as the liner set sail from Mexico. Ms Coriam was a youth worker on the Disney Wonder cruise ship and it is believed she may have fallen overboard.

The Daily Mail reports her parents say they have “struggled “to get answers to their questions about how their daughter went missing.

Mike and Ann Coriam have now filed court papers in the US in a $75,000 action against Disney, alleging that the company was negligent and failed in its duty of care to their daughter. It is alleged there was no suitable surveillance equipment on board the liner and the ship lacked monitors which might have detected a person falling overboard.

Mr and Mrs Coriam allege that when their daughter was found missing, there were delays in carrying out the proper procedures, including a three-hour delay in checking any CCTV footage on board the ship – and a four-hour delay in the crew informing the US Coastguard of their daughter’s disappearance.

Furthermore, the Mexican Navy was not contacted for five hours – and the police were not informed of Ms Coriam’s disappearance for seven hours.

The cruise liner also continued its voyage without turning back to look for Ms Coriam – despite the fact it is estimated she may have been able to survive in the water for 14 hours if had she fallen overboard.

Ms Coriam was last seen on board making a phone call from the staff quarters to a friend. The alarm was raised four hours after the call, when she did not turn up to work for her shift.

The case has been investigated by the police in the Bahamas – where the vessel is registered – but no evidence of foul play was found.

Disney has said that the legal action against the company by Mr and Mrs Coriam has “no merit”. The company has until April to respond to court papers, when a judge is to decide whether the case will be heard.

A spokesman for Disney said:

“This incident has been investigated by the authorities – the claims are without merit, as we will demonstrate in court.”
.
Rebecca’s mother Ann Coriam said:

“We watched that ship sail out on the next cruise full of people laughing and cheering – playing the tune ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ – and our daughter was gone.

“No matter how powerful [Disney] are, people need to know what happened to us.

“Why would they not turn around? If it was their daughter would they have done?”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise on making no win no fee claims for compensation as a result of:

• Accidents & Injury at Work
• Accidents in Public Places
• Fatal Injury Cases
• Holiday Accidents & Illness
• Public liability claims.

Claimants usually have three years from the date of injury to make a no win no fee compensation claim.

For expert legal advice on making no win no fee accident and injury claims contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.