(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — A fourth lawsuit has been filed against TOTE Maritime in the sinking of the ro-ro El Faro, which disappeared with 33 aboard after sailing into Hurricane Joaquin on Oct. 1, First Coast News reported. The suit was filed on behalf of the family of crewmember Anthony Shawn Thomas, a 10-year Navy veteran who had sailed as a merchant mariner for 17 years. He was married and had five children. “We believe the defendants knew the El Faro was an aged and ailing vessel with structural problems and with a history of taking on water,” said attorney Kurt Arnold. “The defendants knew, allowed and encouraged the El Faro to leave port knowing the potential dangers that lay ahead of the hurricane.”
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