Barge Owner Fails to Limit Liability Stemming From Bridge Damage

The owners of 28 barges that broke loose during Hurricane Sally in 2020, causing damage to Florida’s Pensacola Bay Bridge, can’t get an early exit from economic loss claims by nearby businesses stemming from the closure of the bridge.

The barge owners, Skanska USA Inc. and its subsidiary Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc., filed petitions under the Limitation of Liability Act, which allows the owner of a maritime vessel to limit its damages in a negligence suit to the combined value of the vessel and its cargo.

A federal trial court got it right when it ruled that Skanska couldn’t ...