Two crewmen claiming compensation for psychological injuries after their boat sank are being shunned.
Two crewmen claiming compensation for psychological injuries after their boat sank are being shunned by Scottish fishing communities. One of the men, William Beedie, said that people have told him, “You should just accept what happened and be a man”.
Beedie and Shaun Downie were aboard the fishing boat Radiant when it sank 45 miles north west of Lewis on 10 April 2002. They were among five crew members rescued after spending over four hours in a liferaft, although a sixth man was lost in the sinking.
They have engaged a Scottish law firm specialising in ‘no win no fee’ compensation claims to sue the boat’s skipper and owners for £1 million. Although it could take years to be heard, the case has alarmed boat owners who fear that they could be vulnerable to American-style litigation.
