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Wayne Volk, et ux. v. A. P. Franz, Jr., et al.

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, No. 16-1092-cv · judgment October 27, 2017


Certiorari denied · April 2, 2018
Pre-decision estimate: 5% cert probability

Before the decision, modestly above the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for a Second Circuit decision below, a circuit split argued in the petition, and a petition filed soon after the judgment below.

Question presented

This case poses important questions regarding “seaman” status under the Jones Act as applied to a vessel repair employee working exclusively on a fleet of vessels, while afloat, under the ownership and control of his employer. Question I. Whether a long-term employee engaged exclusively in maintenance and repair work on a fleet of 150-200 deck barges afloat in the Hudson River is a “seaman” under the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. §30104) when the barges are under common ownership/operation of his employer, and he is injured while working on one of the vessels. Question II: Whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals misapplied the “Chandris test”1 and other authority from the Court by holding, as a matter of law, 1 Chandris v Latsis, 515 U.S. 347 (1995)

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Louis R Koerner Jr.
Koerner Law Firm

For respondent
John Randolph Foster III
Lyons & Flood, LLP

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Apr 02 2018
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Mar 13 2018
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/29/2018.
  3. Mar 12 2018
    Reply of petitioners Wayne Volk, et ux. filed.
  4. Feb 26 2018
    Brief of respondents A. P. Franz, Jr., et al. in opposition filed.
  5. Jan 23 2018
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 26, 2018)