Jerome B. Grubart, Inc. v. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company (1994)
- Docket
- 93-762
- Decided
- 1994-01-01
Summary
Question: Does a federal district court have federal admiralty jurisdiction to determine and limit the extent of the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company’s tort liability? Conclusion: Yes. Justice David Souter delivered the opinion of the 7-0 majority. The Court held the federal district court has admiralty jurisdiction to determine and limit the extent of the Great Lakes’ tort of liability. Admiralty jurisdiction is appropriate when a party can prove either that the tort occurred on navigable water or that the injury on land was caused by actions on navigable water. In this case, this condition is satisfied since the alleged tort was committed on navigable water, and it is not necessary to prove that the subsequent damage was close in time and space. Great Lakes proved the connection with maritime activity by showing how the damage caused by a vessel on navigable water to an underwater structure is potentially disruptive to maritime commerce.