United States v. Brennan Marine, Inc.

123 F. Supp. 3d 1134, 2015 WL 4992321
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedAugust 20, 2015
DocketCase No. 13-CV-2743 (PJS/SER)
StatusPublished

This text of 123 F. Supp. 3d 1134 (United States v. Brennan Marine, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Brennan Marine, Inc., 123 F. Supp. 3d 1134, 2015 WL 4992321 (mnd 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

PATRICK J. SCHILTZ, District Judge.

On July 3, 2013, the MW MEGAN McB was serving as a lock-assist tugboat ’ at Lock and Dam No. 7 on the Mississippi River near Dresbach, Minnesota. The tugboat became caught in the current, crashed into the dam, capsized, and sank. One of the crew members — Tyler Trusso-ni — drowned. The tugboat was owned and operated by Brennan Marine, Inc.

Brennan Marine filed a complaint seeking exoneration from (or limitation of) liability under the Shipowner’s Limitation of Liability Act, 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501 et seq. In response, Tyler Trussoni’s widow, Danielle Trussoni (“Trussoni”), brought two claims against Brennan Marine: (1) on her own behalf, a wrongful-death action under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 30104, and (2) on behalf of her husband’s estate, a survival action under the general maritime law.1 [1136]*1136See ECF No. ,22 ¶9; ECF No.. 23 ¶9: Trussoni seeks “pecuniary, non-pecuniary, and punitive damages.” ECF No. 23 ¶ 8.

This matter is before the Court on Brennan Marine’s motion for partial dismissal under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) or, in the alternative, for partial judgment on the pleadings under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c). In essence, Brennan Marine asks this Court to rule that Trussoni may not recover punitive or other non-pecuniary damages.

•I. STANDARD OF REVIEW

In reviewing a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), a court must accept as true all of the factual allegations in the complaint and draw all reasonable inferences in the plaintiffs favor. See Aten v. Scottsdale Ins. Co., 511 F.3d 818, 820 (8th Cir.2008). Although the factual allegations in the complaint need not be detailed, they must be sufficient to “raise a right to relief above the speculative level....” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). The complaint must “state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Id. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955. In assessing the sufficiency of the complaint, a court may disregard legal conclusions that are couched as factual allegations. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009).

A motion for judgment on the pleadings under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c) is assessed under the same standards as a motion to dismiss under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). See Ashley Cnty. v. Pfizer, Inc., 552 F.3d 659, 665 (8th Cir.2009).

II. ANALYSIS

As noted, Trussoni has brought two claims against Brennan Marine. First, Trussoni is pursuing a wrongful-death action under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 30104. In order to recover on this claim, Trussoni must prove, among other things, that Brennan Marine acted negligently in its operation of the M/V MEGAN McB. Second, Trussoni is pursuing a survival action under the general maritime law. In order to recover on this claim, Trussoni must prove, among other things, that the MW MEGAN McB was “unsea-worthy” at the time of her husband’s death. If the MTV MEGAN McB was unseaworthy, and its unseaworthiness caused the death of Tyler Trussoni, then Brennan Marine (as the vessel’s owner) is strictly liable to Trussoni. See Miles v. Apex Marine Corp., 498 U.S. 19, 25, 111 S.Ct. 317, 112 L.Ed.2d 275 (1990) (explaining that “the warranty of seaworthiness [imposes] a strict liability obligation” under which “[t]he shipowner [is] liable for failure to supply a safe ship irrespective of fault and irrespective of the intervening negligence of crew members”).

With respect to Trussoni’s negligence claim under the Jones Act, the parties agree that Trussoni may recover only pecuniary damages, but they disagree about whether punitive damages are pecuniary. With respect to Trussoni’s unseaworthiness claim under the general maritime law, the parties primarily disagree about whether Trussoni can. recover punitive damages. The Court’s analysis of both disputes is controlled by the Supreme [1137]*1137Court’s decision in Miles v. Apex Marine Corporation, 498 U.S. 19, 111 S.Ct 317, 112 L.Ed.2d 275 (1990).

A. Miles

Miles closely resembles this case. There, as here, a close relative of a seaman who died onboard a vessel — there, the seaman’s mother; here, the seaman’s wife— brought claims against the vessel’s owner and operator. There, as here, a wrongful-death action was brought under the Jones Act. And there, as here, a survival action sounding in unseaworthiness was brought under, the general maritime law. (In Miles, the mother also brought a wrongful-death action sounding in unseaworthiness; Trussoni has not brought such a claim.)

The Supreme Court had to address two questions about the scope of the recovery available to the mother under the general maritime law. First, the Supreme Court had to determine whether the mother could recover damages for the loss of society of her son in her wrongful-death action. Second, the Supreme Court had to determine whether the mother could recover her son’s future earnings in her survival action.

The Supreme Court devoted much of its Miles opinion to describing the historical context. The general maritime law did not recognize a cause of action for wrongful death or for survival. Id. at 23, 33, 111 S.Ct. 317. Congress enacted the Jones Act in 1920 to provide seamen with causes of action for personal injury, wrongful death, and survival based on their employers’ negligence. See id. at 29, 111 S.Ct. 317. Critically, however, the Jones Act provided that “[l]aws of the United - States regulating recovery for personal injury to, or death of, a railway employee apply to an action under this section.” 46 U.S.C. § 30104. In other words, any limitation imposed on personal-injury, wrongful-death, or survival actions brought by railroad workers under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (“FELA”), 45 U.S.C. §§ 51 et seq., were also imposed on personal-injury, wrongful-death, or survival actions brought by seamen under the Jones Act.

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Bluebook (online)
123 F. Supp. 3d 1134, 2015 WL 4992321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-brennan-marine-inc-mnd-2015.