Volkswagen Group being sued for cargo ship fire – report
The operator and insurer of the 'Felicity Ace' vehicle carrier are suing the Volkswagen Group for the ship's fire in 2022, with a Porsche battery reportedly blamed for the catastrophe.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.
A ship which sunk in early 2022 containing approximately 4000 brand-new cars is alleged to have started from a lithium-ion battery pack fitted to a Porsche.
Now the Volkswagen Group is facing two lawsuits over the event, with one of the cases being brought by half a dozen plaintiffs, news outlet Bloomberg reports.
Two of the parties suing the German car giant are the vessel's operator, Mitsui OSK Lines, and Allianz, which was one of the insurers of the ship.
In February 2022, a fire broke out aboard the 'Felicity Ace' vehicle carrier, destroying a reported 3965 cars, before sinking approximately 400 kilometres off the Portuguese coast.
It's estimated the overall loss could be $US438 million ($AU661 million).
The latest report claims one of the lawsuits was filed a year ago, but has been paused due to planned mediation talks relating to the second case, which is currently before a German court.
It is hoped a settlement can be reached, otherwise the two suits will proceed.
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