Oregon Wins in Grounded-Ship Case
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COQUILLE, Ore. — A jury on Wednesday found the owners and operators of the cargo ship New Carissa negligent for allowing it to run aground in 1999, and it awarded Oregon $25 million to remove the last of the wreckage from a public beach.
The Coos County Circuit Court jury deliberated for fewer than seven hours over evidence presented in the monthlong trial before reaching the 10-2 verdict.
“It’s an important victory for the state of Oregon,” said Tom Towslee, spokesman for Gov. John Kitzhaber. “It sends a clear statement that Oregon’s beaches belong to Oregon.”
The ship’s owner, Taiheiyo Kaiun Co. of Japan, is disappointed with the verdict and has not decided whether to appeal, a spokeswoman said.
The state argued that the captain of the ship was negligent in deciding to anchor in a winter storm, rather than staying underway while waiting for the weather to subside enough for a pilot to take the ship into port.
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