Orion Marine Construction, Inc. v. Mark Dawson

NEWSOM, Circuit Judge:

*1325 This admiralty appeal requires us to navigate uncharted waters in order to determine what constitutes sufficient notice of a claim under the Shipowner's Limitation of Liability Act, 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501 , et seq. The Act establishes a procedure by which a shipowner can limit its liability for certain claims involving one of its vessels to the value of the vessel plus its then-pending freight. Id . § 30505(a). Importantly here, to invoke the Act's protection, the shipowner must bring a limitation-of-liability action in federal court "within 6 months after a claimant gives…