Kendall Carver president of the International Cruise Victims (ICV)and Cruise Bruise Sponsor Maritime Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey are off to Washington DC today.
Kendall Carver tells Cruise Bruise he is hopeful that round three will be the final testimony required to get the United States Congress to create legislation that will help aid in prevention and proper handling of crime on the high seas.
Kendall Carver lost his daugther on the Celebrity Criuise Lines (RCCI) cruise ship Mercury. Daughter Merrian Lynn Carver simply vanished, and the ship nor the cruise line told anyone for five weeks.
When Carver found out, he got few answers as to why most of her belongings were given away to charity, and the cruise line made no attempt to find her, or family. No search and rescue took place, though Merrian never disembarked the ship at any ports of call, nor at the end of the voyage.
Along with Carver, Laurie Dishman is going to be testifying about her alleged sexual assault onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Vision Of The Seas. Her attorney, James Walker, a Cruise Bruise friend, will be at her side during the hearings.
James Walker has worked tirelessly to gather data on cruise ship incidents, to assist in investigative efforts, and has helping both the ICV and Cruise Bruise, as a friend and agenda supporter, to get information on present and past cases and make them readily available to the public through the ICV and Cruise Bruise websites. Both the ICV and Cruise Bruise websites serve to protect the cruise public through education and safety awareness.
In addition, the ICV website has victim resources available so that victims who have been traumatized by their crimes can find counselling. ICV members work together to assist each other as they work through the recover process post incident.
Dishman, an ICV member, says she got no help at all from the FBI, who acted too little too late on her case, and told her to seek civil remedies for her case, telling her in so many words she was not important enough for the FBI to investigate her case.
Her alleged assailant was fired from the cruise ship a week after her attack, which left bruising on her neck that is normally seen during a strangulation.
Cruise Bruise friend and supporter Jack Hickey was chosen to represent cruise victims after Carver says he came to know about Jack through Cruise Bruise. Jack Hickey brings excellent credentials to the hearings.
He is known as the attorney who previously worked for the cruise lines, but now works for victims. His knowledge from the other side of the negotiating table is invaluable to victims. He knows the legal side of the cruise industry from the cruise line perspective, in and out.
He is well respected in the legal community and has been ackknowledged by his peers has having exception skills. He was President, of the Dade County Bar Association, the largest voluntary Bar Association in Florida from 2003 to 2004. He has been a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by The Florida Bar since 1990.
His experience on both side of cases which include passengers and crew members will be an invalable asset to the hearings.
Cruise Bruise applauds all these individuals for taking their personal time and expense to visit Washington DC hoping to make a difference in the way the cruise industry does business in U.S. ports, making travel safter for all passengers.
Congressional Hearings
Cruise Bruise Partners Friends And Sponsor Testify
March 27, 2007
