Did the Herald of Free Enterprise passengers get compensation?

Sue and the children were each offered a pounds 5,000 fixed payment for being aboard the Herald of Free Enterprise when it capsized.



Following the tragic capsizing of the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, which resulted in 193 deaths, the owner of the vessel, Townsend Thoresen (a subsidiary of P&O), faced immense legal and financial pressure. While a 1989 attempt at a corporate manslaughter prosecution against the company and seven employees ultimately failed in court, the company did pay out significant sums in civil compensation to the survivors and the families of the deceased. These settlements were handled through the company’s insurers and covered damages for physical injury, psychological trauma (PTSD), and loss of life. However, many families at the time expressed that no amount of money could compensate for the "appalling negligence" identified in the official inquiry, which famously described the company's management as being "infected with the disease of sloppiness" from top to bottom.

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The MS Herald of Free Enterprise was a Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) ferry which capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on the night of March 6, 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew.

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Zeebrugge is a city in West-Flanders, Belgium. It has many popular attractions, including St. Donatian's Cathedral, De Fonteintjes, Visserskruis, making it well worth a visit.

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MS Herald of Free Enterprise was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry which capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on the night of 6 March 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew.

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