Liability in respect of passenger claims and its limitation

Passenger ship accidents may cause extensive loss of life. The outdated 1974 Athens Convention has been regulating and limiting passenger claims for several years in the UK but not in many other countries. A protocol in 2002 formed the 2002 Athens Convention, a significantly better legal instrument. Problems in the implementation of the 2002 Athens Convention have been resolved by the adoption of recent IMO Guidelines. The 2002 Convention is in the process of becoming a Regulation adopted by the European Union as a part of the third maritime safety package albeit with some further modifications. Passengers claiming under the new regime will have much better chances of recovery . Strict liability for loss of life and personal injury, coupled with compulsory insurance and direct action against the insurer are the essential improvements under the new regime. However the liability of carriers remains limited, but at much higher levels.