Cox v. The "Trade Up"

This was a reference to determine a salvage award. The Plaintiff successfully salvaged the Defendant vessel which had been stranded on rocks. The salvor had retained two other vessels to assist him in the salvage and paid the owners of those vessels what the court considered "overgenerous" amounts. The Court noted that salvage awards "are intended to award a person who comes to the aid of a vessel in distress, and to reward that person handsomely so as to encourage persons to render aid in the future. Salvage awards are not intended to provide a living for the maritime community of the area in which salvage takes place." The Court ultimately awarded the Plaintiff $15,000.00 being 1.5 times the actual and prospective out of pocket expenses of the Plaintiff.