In Spearman v. Royal Caribbean Cruises , Case No. 2011-023730-CA-01, a Miami-Dade County, Florida jury has awarded $20.3 million to a former crewmember of Royal Caribbean Cruises, whose hand was crushed while coming to the aid of a fellow worker during an emergency test in 2008. After a three-week trial, the jury found the Miami-based cruise company negligent in operating an unseaworthy ship and 100 percent liable for the injuries suffered by Lisa Spearman, who was working an officer on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas . Spearman sued the company in 2011, three years after her right hand was caught in a watertight power door during a fire-safety drill. According to her lawyers, Spearman was trying to prevent the door from closing on the ship’s nurse when her hand was pulled into a recess pocket of the sliding door and crushed. The nurse allegedly breached the company’s safety protocol when she stumbled through the door, prompting the response from Spearman. Accordin
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Fane Lozman's latest appeal in his landmark case involving the seizure and destruction of his floating home. The justices denied without comment Mr. Lozman's petition asking them to enforce their 2013 ruling by ordering the city of Riviera Beach to pay him about $365,000 for the home's value and legal fees. Lower courts also ruled against Mr. Lozman, and this was his last appeal. Fane Lozman and his dog with floating home in foreground Picture from the Associated Press The ruling obtained by Mr. Lozman in 2013 set a new standard for floating homes and other structures. As posted previously in this blog, the ruling meant that federal maritime law that calls for seizure under Supplemental Rule C could no longer be applied to disputes involving floating structures that have no traditional characteristics of a vessel, such as an engine, rudder or sails. As reported by such news sources as the AP, the Daily Business Review and o