Extensive and complicated investigations and lawsuits resulted after the disaster. Almost all of the ship's officers and many crew members were arrested, questioned, and investigated. Because the general public was so distraught about the loss of life, hasty, uneducated assumptions were formed regarding the cause of the tragedy and the extent to which the crew was responsible. Erickson and the Eastland's captain Harry Pederson initially took the brunt of the accusations.

The Chicago Record-Herald began presenting pertinent questions about the origin of the fault of the disaster in late July. Questions posed by the paper included: Why was the ship's capacity changed from 2000 to 2500? How did such a top-heavy ship ever pass maritime inspections? Why were the ballast tanks utilized so ineffectively? And why were there so many problems with the valves used to operate the ballast tanks? There was also a rumor that the ship passengers had not been carefully counted as they boarded the ship and that the ship may have been filled beyond its capacity.

Although there were many discrepancies in information as related by the crew, passengers, and eyewitnesses, a federal court found the crew and officers not guilty. Many accounts of the state and civil prosecutions exist, and anyone who is interested in this portion of the story may find these useful in further assessing the results of the disaster. But, simply put, the final outcome of court action came with the decision of the U. S. Appeals Court in August of 1935, as reported by the Associated Press:

"Chicago, Aug. 7.--(AP)--The United States Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld a District Court ruling that the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Co. . . . is not liable for the. . .deaths in the disaster.

"The court held that the company was liable only to the extent of the salvage of the vessel; that the boat was seaworthy; that the operators had taken proper precautions and that the responsibility was traced to an engineer who neglected to fill the ballast tanks properly."