Atlantic Sounding Co., Inc. v. Townsend

I join Chief Judge Edmondson’s opinion in its entirety. For the reasons it explains and on the basis of the decisions it cites, we are obligated to follow our prior precedent in Hines v. J.A. LaPorte, Inc., 820 F.2d 1187 (11th Cir.1987). We must follow Hines’ specific holding that punitive damages are available where there is a willful and persistent failure to pay maintenance and cure, 820 F.2d at 1189-90, even though this Court might have decided that issue differently if Miles v. Apex Marine Corp., 498 U.S. 19, 111 S.Ct. 317, 112 L.Ed.2d 275 (1990), had been available at the time it first…