19th century maritime law could affect payout for Baltimore bridge disaster, expert says

United States News News

19th century maritime law could affect payout for Baltimore bridge disaster, expert says
United States Latest News,United States Headlines
  • 📰 abc7newsbayarea
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 53 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 24%
  • Publisher: 51%

For the payout, this act says owners are allowed to wrap all the claims against them into a single case and ship it to a special Maritime court, where it's heard by a judge, but no jury.

Attorney John Hillsman has spent a legal lifetime learning about ships, boats, and nearly anything that floats. And he's seen his share of disasters, including representing Bay Area fisherman in the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill on San Francisco Bay. But he says charting a legal course often begins with untangling an obscure maritime law that stretches back more than a century.

"They'll file that bond in federal court and say, here's the value of the vessel, please issue an injunction stopping all of the litigation against us and then establish what's known as a 'munition,' where the court says 'you claimants have until...' they'll pick a date -- 'July 1, 2024 to file any claims you may have against the owners of the Dali. This vessel in my courtroom.

"So the plaintiffs in that situation will be looking for other people to sue. They'll probably try to go after the Coast Guard for certifying the vessel as safe. They may well go after the state, seeking defects in the bridge design," he said. "This is going to create such a human cry that the owners are going to be very conscious of the optics of the situation once they get everybody in federal court by petitioning for a limitation. Then, I think, very quickly there'll be negotiations with the families to get them out of the picture as quickly as possible," Hillsman said.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

abc7newsbayarea /  🏆 529. in US

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Baltimore bridge crash was 'every ship crew's worst nightmare': Maritime expertBaltimore bridge crash was 'every ship crew's worst nightmare': Maritime expertA maritime expert is shedding light on what likely happened aboard the massive cargo ship that collided with a Baltimore bridge early Tuesday morning.
Read more »

Maritime lawyer says major Baltimore bridge collapse could reroute shipments to Brunswick, JacksonvilleMaritime lawyer says major Baltimore bridge collapse could reroute shipments to Brunswick, JacksonvilleA Jacksonville-based maritime lawyer said the disaster in Baltimore could cause shipments to come to ports like Brunswick and Jacksonville.
Read more »

Maritime historian provides insight into gargantuan task of Baltimore bridge cleanupMaritime historian provides insight into gargantuan task of Baltimore bridge cleanupFollowing the devastation of the bridge collapse in Baltimore, many are wondering what comes next as one of the nation's busiest ports remains blocked.
Read more »

Baltimore bridge disaster being blamed by leading Republicans on DEI decried by Baltimore mayorBaltimore bridge disaster being blamed by leading Republicans on DEI decried by Baltimore mayorThis is additional taxonomy that helps us with analytics
Read more »

Woman dead after hit-and-run crash near 19th Avenue and Thunderbird Road in north PhoenixWoman dead after hit-and-run crash near 19th Avenue and Thunderbird Road in north PhoenixNo suspect or vehicle information has been released
Read more »

Jewish mural found in North Adams attic offers rare insight into 19th-century immigrantsJewish mural found in North Adams attic offers rare insight into 19th-century immigrantsLocal historian Carol Clingan is attempting raise money to move the Jewish mural, where it can be preserved and seen.
Read more »



Render Time: 2025-02-18 09:49:03