Attorney Article
Supreme Court precludes punitive damages for unseaworthiness claims
Shipping & Transport newsletter (ILO)
Author: Michael Harowski
Michael Harowski (Partner-New Orleans) and Ashley Bane (Associate-New Orleans) co-authored “Supreme Court precludes punitive damages for unseaworthiness claims” published on July 3, 2019, in the International Law Office (ILO) Shipping & Transport newsletter. In this follow-up to Michael’s April 2019 article, Michael and Ashley cover the landmark decision in Dutra Group v Batterton, issued on June 24, 2019, in which the court conclusively resolved a long-running split between federal appellate courts and settled a source of uncertainty in the U.S. maritime industry. They note that, “This decision will reduce overall litigation costs for maritime personal injury cases and resolve a number of issues relating to insurance coverage for punitive damages.”