Decision means only claims involving property directly hit by a Skanska barge move forward.
PENSACOLA, FL | FEBRUARY 23, 2024 - Today, Pensacola-based law firms Levin Papantonio Rafferty; Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz; and Beggs & Lane issued the following statement regarding yesterday's court decision granting Skanska's Motion to Dismiss:
"Late Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the Escambia County Circuit Court dismissed the claims of hundreds of regional businesses, wage earners, and municipalities when it granted Skanska's Motion to Dismiss based on a near-century old maritime case. The court's decision means unless the unsecured barges actually hit your property, Skanska gets off the hook no matter how badly it messed up by not securing the barges during Hurricane Sally or how much money Skanska caused our local businesses to lose.
"A federal court here in Pensacola already determined that Skanska negligently caused the release of 27 building-size barges across the Bay. That ruling was upheld by the federal court of appeals. However, the three-judge panel of local state court judges accepted Skanska's argument based on a 100-year-old loophole instead of following maritime law that permits the application of state court law to these local cases.
"We intend to appeal this disappointing decision and continue the fight on behalf of our community and its businesses to right this obvious wrong."
Attorneys at Levin Papantonio Rafferty; Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz; and Beggs & Lane have been championing the rights of businesses and commuters harmed after a breakaway of Skanska barges in Pensacola Bay during Hurricane Sally resulted in the Pensacola Bay Bridge's outage.
About Levin Papantonio Rafferty
The Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm has been representing injured people across the globe since 1955. The firm has gained national recognition as one of the most successful personal injury firms in the world and has been featured on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox, as well as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Time Magazine, Forbes, and National Law Journal.
Levin Papantonio Rafferty attorneys handle lawsuits throughout the country involving prescription drugs, medical devices, medical malpractice, car accidents, and business litigation. Levin Papantonio Rafferty has earned more than $40 billion in jury verdicts and settlements, litigating against some of the largest corporations in the world.
For questions about the firm’s legal practice, call 1 (800) 277-1193.
Contact Information: Sara Stephens | sstephens@levinlaw.com | 281-744-6560.
