Reed died last month when he was knocked off his fishing boat near the Texas City Dike.
RELATED: Body of missing Kemah PD Chief Chris Reed found near Texas City Dike
His widow claims the boat hit a wake from a container ship that was almost a thousand feet long.
Jana Reed says she threw her husband a rope, but he yelled he couldn't get his arms up and was then hit by another wake off the ship.
Seconds later, Jana only saw his shoes floating on the water's surface.
Crews found Reed's body two days later.
Chris' family is claiming negligence and wrongful death under Texas law.
The lawsuit claims that the container ship had a duty to try and prevent wake damage and was also traveling at excessive speed, among other reasoning.
The Reed family issued the following statement:
"In light of the pending litigation, at this time the Reeds are asking the media to respect their privacy during this difficult time and will not be giving any in-person interviews.
After reviewing the facts leading up to Chris' untimely death, it is apparent that the Maersk vessel was underway at an unsafe speed and that ultimately caused this tragedy. Throughout his life, Chris stood for accountability and justice. Those priorities remain with his family as we proceed forward in this difficult process."
The shipping company has not commented on the suit.
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