In the US a shipowner may face emotional distress claims from third parties, passengers or crew who witness traumatic events that take place on or near an associated ship, Standard Club informs.
The test under most of the US case law is whether the claimant was in the ‘zone of danger’ when the incident happened. The US Court of Appeals in the Eleventh Circuit (which includes Florida) recently further defined the ‘zone of danger’ test.
Namely, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled...
https://safety4sea.com/us-court-decides-on-bystander-emotional-distress-claims/