Janicki Industries, one of the defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit linked to the implosion of an undersea submersible bound for the Titanic wreck, is seeking to transfer the case from state to federal court. The lawsuit was initiated by the family of French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who perished in the Titan submersible implosion in June 2023, for over $50 million in damages. The lawsuit accuses sub operator OceanGate of gross negligence and implicates Janicki Industries for its involvement in the submersible’s design, engineering, and manufacturing.
Janicki Industries filed a petition on Aug. 12 to move the case to U.S. District Court, with a deadline until the middle of the following month for the plaintiffs to respond to the request. The lawsuit shines a light on concerns surrounding the sub’s atypical design and the lack of independent checks on its creators, factors that surfaced after the implosion claimed the lives of all five individuals on board, garnering global attention.
There has been no response from Janicki Industries regarding requests for comments. Similarly, OceanGate, which ceased operations post-implosion and has remained silent on the lawsuit, declined to comment on the case’s potential transfer. Other defendants mentioned in the lawsuit have also refrained from making any comments in response to requests.
Matt Shaffer, an attorney representing the Nargeolet family, communicated that they are not providing input on the request for transferring the case, emphasizing that the objective of the lawsuit remains unchanged. The ultimate aim is for the families to gain a deeper understanding of the events leading to the tragedy and to seek justice.
The Titan’s fatal plunge occurred on June 18, 2023, leading to the loss of contact with its support vessel approximately two hours later. The vessel’s wreckage was discovered on the ocean floor near the Titanic. The Coast Guard is currently conducting an investigation into the implosion, which has spanned almost 15 months.
The Nargeolet lawsuit claims that the Titan’s crew would have been aware of the unfolding events during the submersible’s failure, continuing to descend despite knowing about the vessel’s impending collapse, experiencing anguish and terror before the implosion occurred. An upcoming Coast Guard public hearing on the submersible implosion is set to commence soon, focusing on regulatory compliance and mechanical and structural systems related to the submersible.
Legal representatives for Nargeolet have asserted that the explorer would not have taken part in the Titan expedition had OceanGate been more forthcoming. They described the explorer’s demise as “tragic, but entirely avoidable.”
