Jerome B. Grubart, Inc. v. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.

513 U.S. 527, 115 S.Ct. 1043, 130 L.Ed.2d 1024, 1995 AMC 913 (1995)

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Jerome B. Grubart, Inc. v. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.

United States Supreme Court
513 U.S. 527, 115 S.Ct. 1043, 130 L.Ed.2d 1024, 1995 AMC 913 (1995)

CS

Facts

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. (Great Lakes) (plaintiff) was hired by the City of Chicago to replace pilings in the Chicago River, a navigable waterway. Great Lakes completed this work by using a crane on a barge floating in the river to pull up old pilings and drive in new ones, in a location in the river under which a tunnel ran. Months later, the walls of that tunnel breached, and an eddy formed in the river, causing water to cascade down into the tunnel and then into the basements of numerous buildings. Numerous claims were filed in state court against Great Lakes and the city as a result of the flooding. Great Lakes brought a suit in federal court, seeking to assert federal admiralty jurisdiction over the matter and seeking protection under an admiralty liability-limitation statute. The city and Jerome Grubart, Inc., a state-court plaintiff (defendants) filed a motion to dismiss Great Lakes’ claim for lack of admiralty jurisdiction. The court granted the motion, but the court of appeals reversed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Souter, J.)

Concurrence (Thomas, J.)

Concurrence (O’Connor, J.)

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Admiralty

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