According to Legal Times' Tony Mauro, "Professor Jeffrey L. Fisher who represented the plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case connected with justices more effectively when he argued that tort law, including punitive damages, should apply to maritime cases as much as any other."

"Fisher argued that Exxon in fact 'has not been deterred' by all that has followed from the oil spill. Capt. Joseph Hazelwood is the only person the company fired, he said, while others further up the chain of command received raises and bonuses. In spite of the high numbers Dellinger mentioned, Fisher said his clients have only received $15,000 apiece."