Complaint of Port Arthur Towing Co. on Behalf of M/V Miss Carolyn

A collision of two barge tows resulted in injuries to the vessels and some crew members. Owners and operators of the two vessels involved in the collision filed suit under the Limitation of Liability Act (the “Act”) 1 in federal district court seeking to limit their respective liabilities to the values of the respective vessels. The district court held that the shipowners were entitled to limit their liability and thus stayed concurrent state court actions involving the incident. The district court subsequently held, inter alia, that both shipowners were entitled to exoneration from liability…