Blog Post


LAST REMAINING ALASKA RANGER CASES TO PROCEED IN STATE COURT

Posted by: James M. Beard
September 17, 2009
Topic: Legal Cases and Concerns

Following the sinking of the ALASKA RANGER, the vessel owners, Fishing Company of Alaska, filed a petition for limitation of liability in United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. By filing the limitation of liability action, the vessel owners were able to stay the pending State Court suits of the crewmen who survived the sinking. Twenty six crewman filed claims for physical and psychological injuries in the Federal limitation of liability action. All but two of those claims have been resolved with the assistance of a Federal Mediator. The claims of crewman Juan Barrios and fishing observer Gwen Rains remained pending in Federal Court until September 11, 2009 when, by stipulation of the parties, the stay of proceedings was lifted as to the Rains' and Barrios' actions. The amount of damages to be awarded in the Barrios case may now be decided by jury trial in Washington State Superior Court.

Beard Stacey & Jacobsen represented 13 of the surviving crewmen from the ALASKA RANGER case and also represented the family of deceased crewman Byron Carrillo. The amounts of those crewmen's settlements remain confidential.