$46 Million Settlement in Defective Marine Engine Product Liability Case

Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc. Et Al. V. Caterpillar Inc. Et Al. | Mobile County, Alabama Circuit Court | CASE NO. 02-CV-2010-900126 C/W 02-CV-2010901073

The failure of a single marine engine prompted a $46 million settlement in a product liability case represented by Cunningham Bounds, LLC. This settlement was reached a week before the jury trial was scheduled to take place and six years after the incident itself.

Bender Shipbuilding was contracted by Seacor Marine, LLC to construct a new series of advanced vessels that included the M/V Sherman. The price for this vessel was nearly $27 million. During routine testing while the vessel was under construction, a single 3516B Caterpillar marine engine threw a rod and caused an enormous fire, burning the ship to its hull.