First, withholding material evidence from the Board is obstruction, a legally actionable issue. The Board could have them civilly or criminally liable. You cannot lie or withhold evidence when the government comes calling in an investigation and that doesn't only apply in criminal cases.

Second, having been found to doubts about the captain, what are they going to say in rebuttal--we didn't mean it.

Dicovery is a powerful tool, gigabytes of emails were no doubt downloaded. The plaintiff attorneys found the key to proving the company liable for wrongful death.

GF.