United States Second Circuit

In a tort action arising out of a ferry crash into a maintenance pier, a bench trial judgment which found the city negligent and denied limitations of liability is affirmed where the city did not act with reasonable care when it allowed a single pilot to operate the Staten Island Ferry without at least one other person in or near the pilothouse, aware of the navigational circumstances, and ready to render or summon assistance in the event of an emergency.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/27/2008
• Published 03/27/2008

Judges

• KATZMANN, Circuit Judge., Before:  SACK, KATZMANN, and RAGGI, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Wayne D. Meehan (Gina Venezia, of counsel) Freehill Hogan & Mahar LLP, New York, New York, for Petitioner-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• James E. Ryan, Dougherty Ryan Giuffra Zambito & Hession, New York, N.Y. (John J. Hession, Jeffrey S. Moller, Anthony Bisignano, of counsel), for Respondents-Third-Party-Plaintiffs-Appellees.