Blog
When Tort Reform Backfires: The BP Oil Spill
On April 20, 2010, an offshore drilling rig known as the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion claimed the lives of 11 crewmembers and caused the…
Florida Court Says Cruise Ship Passenger Can Seek Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Case
The “hot coffee” lawsuit in the 1990s made punitive damages a fiercely debated topic. Stella Liebeck was riding in her grandson’s car, which he stopped so she could add cream…
Arbitration Agreement Signed by Princess Cruise Lines Crewmember Keeps Her Jones Act Claim Out of Court
Arbitration Agreement Signed by Princess Cruise Lines Crewmember Keeps Her Jones Act Claim Out of Court In yesterday’s post, we discussed binding arbitration clauses, exploring how corporations essentially use them…
COSTA CONCORDIA Sinks in Italy Due to Human Error, Captain Under Investigation for Manslaughter
COSTA CONCORDIA Sinks in Italy Due to Human Error, Captain Under Investigation for Manslaughter Six people are dead and 16 remain missing after the cruise ship COSTA CONCORDIA hit a…
Arbitration Clauses: Do-It-Yourself Tort Reform
Arbitration Clauses: Do-It-Yourself Tort Reform Nowadays, binding arbitration clauses appear seemingly everywhere — from credit card terms and conditions to maritime employment contracts. According to Professor of Law David S.…
Worker’s Three-Year Break in Service Undermines His Jones Act Claim
In August, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling out of the Southern District of Texas that an oil rig worker’s three-year break in service negated…
Norwegian Cruise Line Abandons Elderly Couple in Columbia
In October, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star dropped off 79-year-old Betty Coleman and her husband Ronald at a clinic in Cartagena, Columbia, and the ship then left the couple there…
CRUISE Act Seeks to Exempt Certain Foreign Ships from the Jones Act
In July, U.S. Representative Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) introduced legislation that would amend federal maritime law to allow foreign ships to travel from U.S. port to U.S. port. Under the Jones…
Ohio Woman Killed During Cruise-Sponsored Snorkeling Excursion
Last February, 59-year-old Diana Mechling of Ohio died during a snorkeling excursion off the coast of Belize. A passenger on Holland America’s Ryndam cruise ship, she sustained fatal injuries shortly…