Costa to offer €11,000 to Concordia passengers

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Several of Italy's consumer groups signed an agreement with Costa Cruises to offer about €11,000 (NZ$17,558) to each of the more than 3,000 passengers aboard the Costa Concordia when it hit a rock and capsized near the Italian island of Giglio on January 13, a statement from the consumer groups said.

The company has agreed to pay €11,000 for items lost and any psychological damages to each passenger who suffered no physical injuries. In addition, the cost of the cruise and all transportation will be covered. Passengers injured while abandoning the ship will be dealt with individually.

Those who accept the offer must agree to drop all future legal actions against Costa Cruises, according to the agreement. Children will receive the same financial settlement as adults, and passengers will be paid within a week of accepting the offer.

Codacons, a consumer group that did not sign the agreement, recommended that passengers not accept it and urged them to undergo a check to see if they suffered any psychological trauma as a result of the shipwreck, according to Carlo Rienzi, the group's president.

Codacons is collecting names to file a class action suit in Miami against parent company Carnival Plc, requesting €125,000 for each passenger.

- Reuters