A Confused Sea: Vicarious Liability for Punitive Damages Under Maritime Law

Article by John L. Watts

This Article discusses the current circuit split regarding the vicarious imposition of punitive damages in maritime law and explains why the United States Supreme Court or Congress should adopt the more expansive rule followed by the Ninth Circuit and most states—vicariously imposing punitive damages against an employer for the acts of managerial employees within the scope of their employment.