Because of a 19th-century federal law that says "the owner of a ship that causes damages can not be sued for more than the vessel's value" the city may almost be done paying off the aftermath of the Staten Island Ferry crash which killed 11 people in 2003. Why? Well, the ferry was worth $14.4 million and after the city yesterday awarded $8.9 million to Paul Esposito, who lost both of his legs in the accident, the city has now doled out $12.6 million. Of the 191 claims that have been filed the city says that 100 of them have been settled. So while a judge reviews the validity of that federal law the city is going to have to figure out how to spread that $1.8 million over 91 claims...

Ferry photo from cweed's flickr stream.