American Maritime Safety (AMS) Files Amicus Curiae ("Friend of the Court") Brief in the United Stat

Published Jan 10, 2008 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

An American Maritime Safety (AMS) Brief has been filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of ExxonMobil’s position regarding punitive damages in the Exxon VALDEZ litigation. Plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez litigation have argued that a lower court's award of $2.5 billion in punitive damages against Exxon Shipping Company is justified, in part, by the company's purported failure to adequately monitor the alleged substance abuse of certain vessel personnel.

After the crude oil tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef in Prince William Sound on March 23, 1989, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil, a $5 billion civil judgment was awarded in the 1994 trial. Last year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco cut the award to $2.5 billion and Exxon appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. In October of 2007, the Supreme Court said that it would accept the case and examine the fundamental legal issues.

American Maritime Safety has filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in the United States Supreme Court in support of its position that punitive damages should not be assessed against a vessel operator/owner based on its determination not to exceed mandatory U.S. Coast Guard chemical testing requirements.

CLICK HERE to read the AMS Amicus Brief. A hard copy of the brief is available upon request.

American Maritime Safety, Inc., ("AMS") is a non-profit and tax exempt maritime trade association established in 1988 in Manhattan, New York, to facilitate the maritime industry's compliance with international shipping protocols and U.S. Coast Guard regulations. To learn more about AMS, visit their website at www.maritimesafety.org.