LAND Marine Construction Services (LMCS) has rejected a claim by Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd that that its efforts to compensate the families of four divers who died at its Pointe-a-Pierre facility, two years ago, are being frustrated by LMCS.
Paria made this claim in a statement on July 29.
On February 25, 2022, divers Rishi Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry and Christopher Boodram were doing maintenance work on a 30-inch underwater pipeline belonging to Paria when they were sucked into it.
Only Boodram survived. They were employed by LMCS.
The company responded to Paria's statement through its attorney Dinesh Rambally.
In a statement issued on July 30, Rambally said, "LMCS is of the firm view, based upon all the facts and relevant principles of law, that Paria could achieve a prompt and fair resolution of all issues and/or matters if it notified all stakeholders of its full acceptance of responsibility for the tragic accident."
In such a scenario, he continued, "parties would then be able to devote its time and resources to ensuring that those tragically affected are properly compensated."
Rambally believed it may be possible for Boodram and the families of the deceased divers to able to access structured interim payments on account of damages, psychiatric and/or medical care, expert reports and legal costs.
He said LMCS views Paria's statement as patently self-serving.
"It is clearly attempting to deflect from its responsibility by sidestepping the elephants in the room, or public domain: its breach of its duty and overall legal culpability."
Based on the statement, Rambally said LMCS will seek clarity from Paria's attorneys about certain correspondence between both companies on this matter.
He added that LMCS will refrain from commenting on matters mentioned in Paria's statement "in the hope that parties would not become unnecessarily polarised, and instead be able to work in the interest of the sole surviving diver and the deceased divers’ families."
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