Dinh v Ride The Ducks Stritmatter Trial Insider

On September 24, 2015, a Ride the Ducks Seattle amphibious vehicle, a.k.a. "duck boat," collided with a charter bus carrying dozens of international students from North Seattle College. It was a horrific tragedy. Five people were killed; more than 60 were injured. And it was clear almost immediately that the duck boat was the reason for the crash.

Music by Septahelix,  Kevin MacLeod, Nctrnm, and Reusenoise. Theme music by The Insider. All music licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

*Content Warning: Please note that there are pieces of audio footage in this podcast from the accident that occurred that may be sensitive to hear.

The biggest lawsuit, and, eventually, trial, to come out of this accident was filed on behalf of 43 plaintiffs, known as The Dinh Plaintiff Group. The trial was lead by attorneys at Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore with assistance from other firms. Every single plaintiff has his or her own story of devastating injury, trauma, and grief.

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*Content Warning: Please note that there are pieces of audio footage in this podcast from the accident that occurred that may be sensitive to hear

What are duck boats, anyway? First designed for the U.S. military during World War II, the amphibious vehicles were transformed over the decades into popular tourist rides all over the country and the world. Most people have a great time. But the accident in Seattle was not the only one.

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From the beginning, it was clear that a mechanical failure caused the duck boat to lose control on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. But what really caused the accident? Turns out, a lot of things went wrong, for a lot of years.

Music by Anno Domini Beats, Stefan Kartenberg, The Whole Other, Kai Engel, and Nctrnm. Theme music by The Insider. All music licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

The accident in Seattle in 2015 was just one many fatal and injury accidents involving duck boats. Yet there are a number of governmental regulators, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, inspecting these vehicles for safety. Why does this keep happening?

Music by Jahzzar and Kevin MacLeod. Theme music by The Insider. All music licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

The verdict in the Ride the Ducks trial in Seattle was handed down in January 2019. And just like the 2015 accident was not the only accident, this lawsuit was not the only lawsuit. What does justice look like? And what will happen to duck boats now?

Music by Jahzzar, The Grand Affair, Ugonna Onyekwe, The Brothers Records, Little Glass Men, and Anno Domini Beats. Theme music by The Insider. All music licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.