Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument On Availability of Punitive Damages Under General Maritime Law – Big Potential Impact on Injured Louisiana Maritime Workers

On March 25, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of The Dutra Group v. Batterton. The main question of the case is whether a Jones Act seaman can recover punitive damages in a personal injury suit based on the unseaworthiness of the vessel that he worked on. The New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the …