(HE)
WE'RE HEARING FOR THE FIRST TIME
TONIGHT FROM NATHAN CARMAN --
SINCE HIS CIVIL TRIAL BEGAN IN
PROVIDENCE.
TODAY MARKED CLOSING ARGUMENTS
IN THE CASE.
(MM)
THIS TRIAL FOCUSED SOLELY ON
THE INSURANCE POLICY ON CARMAN'S
BOAT.
IT SANK IN 2016 -- WHILE CARMAN
AND HIS MOTHER WERE ON BOARD.
HE WAS RESCUED.
SHE WAS NEVER FOUND -- AND IS
PRESUMED DEAD.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KAIT
WALSH IS LIVE OUTSIDE FEDERAL
COURT IN PROVIDENCE-- WITH WHAT
CARMAN HAD TO SAY OUTSIDE COURT.
KAIT?
SINCE NO CAMERAS ARE ALLOWED IN
FEDERAL COURT - EVERY DAY -WE'VE
ASKED NATHAN CARMAN - AND THE
PLAINTIFFS - FOR COMMENT ON THIS
TRIAL AS THEY ENTER AND LEAVE
COURT.
EVERY DAY THEY'VE STAYED SILENT.
UNTIL TODAY.
NATHAN CARMAN HIMSELF SPOKE TO
US AFTER CLOSING ARGUMENTS -
SAYING HE WANTED TO CLEAR THE
AIR ON WHY HE'S FIGHTING FOR THE
85-THOUSAND DOLLAR INSURANCE
CLAIM ON HIS SUNKEN BOAT.
NATHAN CARMAN - UNEXPECTEDLY -
BREAKS HIS SILENCE IN HIS CIVIL
TRIAL AGAINST THE INSURANCE
COMPANY FOR HIS BOAT - THE
CHICKEN POX - WHICH IS BELIEVED
TO HAVE SUNK SOMEWHERE OFF THE
NEW ENGLAND COAST IN SEPTEMBER
OF 2016 - WITH HIS MOTHER
ONBOARD.
"This isn't about money. It's an
85 thousand dollar claim. It's a
contingency fee. I get a
fraction of that if I win. I've
put lots of time, effort, and
frankly a lot of misery into
this."
CARMAN'S CIVIL TRIAL WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE FOCUSED SOLELY ON
THAT INSURANCE CLAIM.
"I almost feel like I have a
responsibility to my mom to
make sure the truth comes out
and Mr. Farrell, and the
insurers, BoatUS, Berkshire
Hathaway, National Fire and
Liability have made claims
against me that are so
tremendous, I don't feel like I
can walk away from them."
ATTORNEYS FOR BOAT-U-S ARGUE
THAT CARMAN HAD ALTERED HIS BOAT
-THE CHICKEN POX - MAKING IT
UNSEAWORTHY - AND DIDN'T NOTIFY
THEM ABOUT THE CHANGES.
THAT - THEY ARGUE - MAKES THEM
EXEMPT FROM PAYING THE CLAIM.
BUT CARMAN'S ATTORNEY SAID IN
CLOSING ARGUMEN TS - THE
43-YEAR-OLD BOAT HAD PROBLEMS
WELL BEFORE CARMAN PURCHASED IT
- PUTTING SOME OF THE BLAME ON
THE PREVIOUS OWNER - BRIAN
WOODS.
"Do you feel any guilt for the
boat sinking at all? Absolutely
not. Absolutely not. It was an
excellent boat. The surveyor
proved excellent. He used it for
many months before he had this
problem. He altered the boat.
Ultimately he sank the boat."
IN ADDITION TO ARGUING LANGUAGE
IN THE INSURANCE POLICY - BOTH
SIDES FOCUSED HEAVILY ON THE
ACCURACY OF CARMAN'S TESTIMONY
IN THAT HIS BOAT SANK NEAR BLOCK
CANYON - AND THAT HE FLOATED ON
A LIFE RAFT FOR 7 DAYS BEFORE HE
(HE)
IT'S NOW UP TO A FEDERAL JUDGE,
WHETHER OR NOT NATHAN CARMAN CAN
COLLECT AN INSURANCE CLAIM ON
HIS SUNKEN BOAT.
(MM)
BOTH SIDES DELIVERED CLOSING
ARGUMENTS TODAY --- AFTER WHICH
--- NATHAN CARMAN HIMSELF SPOKE
TO REPORTERS.
THE INSURANCE COMPANY CLAIMS
------CARMAN MADE CHANGES TO THE
BOAT BEFORE IT SANK IN 2016 ---
WHILE TODAY, THE DEFENSE POINTED
THE FINGER AT THE BOAT'S
PREVIOUS OWNER.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KAIT
WALSH JOINS US FROM PROVIDENCE
WITH
THE NEW DETAILS.
The focus of this trial ahs been
if the insurance company should
pay their claim to Nathan Carman
for the sinking of his boat, but
today at closing arguments, both
sides argued heavily about if
Nathan Carman's story of where
the boat sank and how he
survived 7 days, held any water.
NATHAN CARMAN - BREAKING HIS
SILENCE - AFTER DAYS OF
TESTIMONY - AND HOURS OF CLOSING
ARGUMENTS IN HIS CIVIL TRIAL
AGAINST THE INSURANCE COMPANY
FOR HIS SUNKEN BOAT -THE CHICKEN
POX.
"Firstly, we don't know what
caused the boat to sink.
Secondly, this isn't about
money."
EYEWITNESS NEWS WAS IN COURT FOR
DAYS AS CARMAN'S ATTORNEY ARGUED
THE BOAT SANK BY ACCIDENT.
WE HEARD CARMAN RECOUNT HIS LAST
MOMENTS BEFORE LOSING HIS
MOTHER.
AND WE HEARD EXPERTS FOR THE
INSURANCE COMPANY - DESCRIBE
THEIR BELIEF CARMAN'S STORY OF
THE BOAT SINKING AND HIS SEVEN
DAYS ON A LIFE RAFT - DID NOT
ADD UP.
THE INSURANCE COMPANY CLAIMING -
THEY SHOULDN'T PAY THE 85
THOUSAND DOLLAR CLAIM - BECAUSE
CARMAN MADE ALTERATIONS TO THE
BOAT - DEEMING IT UNSEAWORTHY.
"I almost feel like I have a
responsibility to my mom to make
sure that the truth comes out
and Mr. Farrell and the
insurers, BoatUS, Berkshire
Hathaway, National Fire and
Liability have made claims
against me that are so
tremendous, I don't feel like I
can walk away from them."
IN CLOSING ARGUMENTS - CARMAN'S
ATTORNEY POINTED FINGERS AT
BRIAN WOODS - THE PREVIOUS OWNER
OF THE CHICKEN POX - SHOWING
PHOTOS OF THE BOAT WITH DINGS
AND HOLES IN IT - BEFORE WOODS
ALLEGEDLY FIXED THEM.
"Do you feel any guilt for the
boat sinking at all." Absolutely
not. Absolutely none. It was an
excellent boat."
WOODS SAID THE BOAT PASSED
SURVEYS AND THAT CARMAN USED THE
BOAT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE
IT SUNK.
TAKE KAIT LOOKLIVE
THIS WAS A BENCH TRIAL - MEANING
NO JURY - JUST THE JUDGE MAKING
THE DECISION.
THE JUDGE SAID THAT VERDICT
LIKELY WON'T COME DOWN FOR A
COUPLE OF WEEKS.
IN PROVIDENCE - I'M KAIT WALSH -