Maritime or State Law?

In general, federal maritime law supplements and overrides most state and other federal laws. The underlying goal is uniformity of the legal rights and... More

Dan Hoerner’s Latest Article in WorkBoat: Taking Remedial Measures

Lessons learned from an accident, injury or property damage loss, no matter how devastating, give you a chance to take steps to prevent similar... More

Dan Hoerner’s Latest Article in WorkBoat: States, U.S. Share Jurisdiction

U.S. admiralty law is unique in that it provides federal courts with exclusive jurisdiction over many maritime cases. This begs the question: Why are... More

The Louisiana Rule Sinks Limitation of Liability

A U.S. District Court in Florida recently dealt a fatal blow to a barge owner’s attempt to have its liability limited under the Shipowners... More

Dan Hoerner’s Latest Article in WorkBoat: Unseaworthiness

February 23, 2022 If you ask the average person on the street what a “seaworthy” vessel is, the person will probably say that a... More

Life Care Plans Driving Up Cost of Personal Injury Litigation

With increasing frequency, personal injury litigants are utilizing the services of doctors and pseudo medical experts to help define the value of their personal... More

MBLB Casualty Team Deals Double Whammy in Industrial Accident Lawsuit 

Member Trevor Cutaiar successfully argued two motions in Louisiana state court in a hotly contested personal injury lawsuit arising out of an industrial accident.... More

Able-Bodied Seamen Deemed Not a Seamen

In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a significant ruling regarding the test for seaman status. However, unlike most... More

Suit for Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Dismissed

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, litigation (both frivolous and meritous) was a foregone conclusion. The floodgates have opened, and the court dockets are... More

COVID-19 Spawns Litigation

As the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to unfold, the next wave of this calamity is beginning to swell: litigation. Already, there... More