Ha! I bet my wife (also a maritime lawyer) the limitation would plead $40-50 million as the liability cap. She took the over.
Having participated in a couple of NTSB investigations and many, many USCG ones, I have some deeper thoughts on the query about the length it takes the NTSB to investigate but for starters- the NTSB will designate Responsible Parties (not a legal conclusion but an investigation designation), evidence will be gathered and produced, experts will be identified, depositions and other statements will be taken from fact witnesses and experts, the RPs will be allowed to present certain witnesses, additional RPs may be added, at some point a formal hearing will take place, the NtSB will issue a draft report to the RPs who will be allowed to comment, the comments may or may not be adopted, the final report will be prepared and may be circulated to USCG as a courtesy, and then the report will be posted publicly. Interestingly, unlike USCG reports which are completely inadmissible in court, the factual portions of an NTSB report generally are admissible.
As others have noted, the NTSB investigations are very detailed. There is some history here with the NTSB and the vessel lawyer, who is a friend and highly capable. He will defend his client vigorously and as a graduate of SUNY Maritime has sailed and is experienced. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out as it will all turn on the maintenance history and the cause of the power failure.
"I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be."