The Lookout provides readers with a snapshot of some important
developments in maritime law and the maritime industry that are
being monitored by the Admiralty, Maritime & Energy Litigation
Practice at Lewis Brisbois.
U.S. Supreme Court Grants Petition for Cert. for Batterton
v. Dutra Group
After much anticipation, on December 7, 2018, the U.S. Supreme
Court granted certiorari in the Batterton v. Dutra Group
case. In Batterton, the Ninth Circuit held that punitive
damages were available to Jones Act seamen in unworthiness cases,
while the Fifth Circuit in McBride v. Estis Wells Services
held that punitive damages were not permissible in such cases. By
granting cert., it appears that the Court will endeavor to resolve
this split. For more information about that the availability of
punitive damages in unseaworthiness cases, we invite you to read this article from the Daily
Journal written by the Admiralty, Maritime & Energy
Litigation Practice at Lewis Brisbois.
