The Grand Princess cruise ship carrying passengers who have tested positive for coronavirus arrives in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S. March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Fred Greaves By K. Oanh Ha (Bloomberg) -- After two passengers on their luxury cruise tested positive for Covid-19 in March, Emilio and Barbara Hernandez were so frantic to get off the ship, they wrote a note … [Read more...]
Lawsuit Filed After Deadly Tanker Collision Near Galveston
The owners of the MT Odfjell Bow Fortune, the 600-foot tanker that collided with a fishing vessel near Galveston, Texas on January 14, has asked a Federal court to absolve them of all financial liability associated with the fatal incident. One crew member was killed, one was injured, and two remain missing and are presumed dead, including the captain of the fishing vessel, … [Read more...]
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Jones Act Seaman’s Bid for Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Suit
The U.S. Supreme Court has resolved split circuit court decision sin the personal injury case of Dutra Group v. Batterton, ruling that an injured Jones Act seaman cannot recover punitive damages on a common-law maritime claim of unseaworthiness. In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court rejected deckhand Christopher Batterton's bid to lodge a claim for punitive damages in a lawsuit … [Read more...]
Bouchard Sues Glassdoor Over Identity of Anonymous Former Employee
By Barbara Liston (Clearview Post) - Think anonymous reviews in crowd-sourced forums like Yelp and Glassdoor are protected by the First Amendment? A former employee who posted a critical review of New York oil barge operator Bouchard Transportation is about to find out. So far, Bouchard is winning. A California judge in June sided with Bouchard and ordered the job search … [Read more...]
Whistleblowing Ship Master Wins Case Against Matson and Hails Seaman’s Protective Act as Powerful Tool to Require Ship Owners to Maintain Safe Ships
Captain John Loftus, an advocate for merchant marine safety, won a decision from the Administrative Review Board of the Department of Labor that sustained a $1.1 million judgment against a company that punished Loftus for reporting unsafe conditions aboard the company ships. The decision, delivered on May 24, 2018 may also open the gate wider for seamen to qualify for … [Read more...]