Wayne D. Masters, Cross-Appellee v. Transworld Drilling Co., Cross-Appellant, Tesson Hammers, Inc., Cross-Appellant

Oct 12, 1982
81-3605
Reporters:
,
Before:
Brown
PER CURIAM:

After careful study of the District Court’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in ‍​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍this maritime personal injury case, we affirm the judgment of unseaworthiness liability as to Transworld and of negligence as to Tesson Hammers.

We remand to the District Court, however, to reconsider whether it ‍​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍should have awarded pre-judgment interest. See Noritake Co., Inc. v. M/V HELLENIC CHAMPION, 627 F.2d 724, 730 (5th Cir. 1980). Such an award, although within the Court’s sound discretion, is well-nigh automatic in suits ‍​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍in the admiralty. See generally Havis v. Petroleum Helicopters, 664 F.2d 54 (5th Cir. 1981); Annot., Award of Prejudgment Interest in Admiralty Suits, 34 A.L.R.Fed. 126, 228-38 (1977).

Further, we must vacate that portion of the District Court’s ‍​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍decision dealing with inflation and remand for recalculation, in the light of Culver v. Slater Boat Co. (5th Cir. 1982) 688 F.2d 280 (en banc) and Byrd v. Reederei, 688 F.2d 324 (5th Cir. 1982) (en banc), of the ‍​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍proper amount of damages, including inflation, that Masters sustained.

AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED IN PART and REMANDED.