Carrier Liability for Death or Injury: A Comparison

Abeyratne, Ruwantissa

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-18391-2_6

Ruwantissa Abeyratne²

499 Accesses

Abstract

Many things happen on board cruise liners and aircraft that can be traced to liability of the carrier. In maritime transport there have been reports of outbreaks of food poisoning, legionnaires’ disease, injuries, sexual assault, and even murder on board cruise ships. An accident which caught the attention of the world was when 32 people died after the Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground with more than 4000 passengers and crew on 13 January 2012, shortly after leaving the Italian port of Civitavecchia. Death or injury to passengers on board ships could result in personal injury actions or wrongful death claims entitling them to substantial compensation for expenses as well as compensation. In air transport, accidents have necessitated defined principles of private air carrier liability through multilateral treaties.

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Notes

1.
https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/traffic-growth-and-airline-profitability-were-highlights-of-air-transport-in-2016.aspx.
2.
http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2016-12-08-01.aspx.
3.
https://www.cruising.org/docs/default-source/research/2016_clia_sotci.pdf.
4.
Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, Athens, 13 December 1974, http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/conven/passengers1974.html.
5.
Id. Article 1.8.
6.
Id., Article 1.1a). A performing carrier is defined as a person other than the carrier, being the owner, charterer or operator of a ship, who actually performs the whole or a part of the carriage, Article 1.1b).
7.
Article 4.1.
8.
Article 4.2.
9.
Article 4.4.
10.
A Franc is considered by the Convention to be a unit consisting of 65.5 milligrams of gold of millesimal fineness 900.
11.
Article 7.1.
12.
Article 7.2.
13.
Article 6.
14.
Article 17.
15.
Article 16.
16.
A unit of account in economics is a nominal monetary unit of measure or currency used to represent the real value (or cost) of any economic item; i.e. goods, services, assets, liabilities, income, expenses. It is one of three well-known functions of money.
17.
Case 11-11729 December 20, 2011.
18.
See also, Flava Works Inc., v. City of Miami, 609 F.3d 1233.
19.
787 F. Supp. 2d 1308 (S.D. Fla 2011).
20.
[2011] EWCA Civ 1237.
21.
[1976] 1 W.L.R. 810.
22.
Id. 814. In Richards v W F White and Co ([1957] 1 Lloyd’s Reports 367) the plaintiff slipped on oil and fell suffering injury, and claimed damages. It was held that there had to be some evidence to show how long the oil had been present and some evidence from which it could be inferred that a prudent occupier of the premises would have had reasonable foreseeability of possible injury and taken necessary precautions.
23.
Pioneer Investment Services Company v. Brunswick Associates Limited Partnership, 507 U.S. 380.
24.
(2001) 171 F. Supp. 2d 241.
25.
United States District Court Southern District of Florida Miami Division, ·Case No: 10-23398-Civ-King (S.D. Fla. Aug. 5, 2011).
26.
623 So. 2d 1182 (Fla. 1993).
27.
Id. at 1185. See also Laverton v Kiapasha (T/A Takeaway Supreme) CA (Bailii, [2002] EWCA Civ 1656) which involved the plaintiff, who had had too much to drink and was wearing high heels, slipped on the wet floor of a takeaway The court held that there was a distinction between particular dangers such as greasy spillages, where it is reasonable to expect a shopkeeper to deal with and places where a patch of water, which would normally not pose as serious a problem of potential slipping by a customer. See also Harrison v Derby City Council CA (Bailii, [2008] EWCA Civ 583) where the claimant injured herself by tripping over a depression in the pavement. The council appealed a finding that it was in breach of its duty, saying that it had inspected the footway every 6 months.
28.
318 So. 2d 386, 391 (Fla. 1975).
29.
515 So. 2d 198 (Fla. 1987).
30.
358 U.S. 625.
31.
See also Leathers v. Blessing, 105 U.S. 626, 26 L.Ed. 1192; The Max Morris, 137 U.S. 1, 11 S.Ct. 29, 34 L.Ed. 586.
32.
Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw on 12 October 1929, reproduced in Annals Air and Space Law, Vol. XVIII, 1993, Part II, p. 323 at 339.
33.
Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, Signed at Montreal on 28 May 1999. ICAO Doc 974 reproduced in Annals Air and Space Law, Vol XXX Part I, 2005, pp. 449–476.
34.
Shawcross and Beaumont Air Law (4ed. 1 Re-Issue 1988) VII (152).
35.
Id. VII (116).
36.
Id. VII (117).
37.
Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to the International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw on 12 October 1929. The Convention entered into force on 13 February 1933 and has 152 signatories. The Montreal Convention of 1999 superseded the Warsaw Convention and entered into force on 4 November 2003.
38.
Shawcross & Beaumont, Air Law, Op Cit,VII (116).
39.
Chisholm v. British European Airways (1963) 1 LloydsRep. 626.
40.
Id. At 629. Also Grein v. Imperial Airways Ltd. (1937) 1 KB 50 CA at 69–71 per Greer L.J.
41.
Goldman v. Thai Airways International Ltd. (1981) 125 Sol Jo 413 (High Ct). Also in (1983) 1 All E.R. 693.
42.
(1986) 2 All E.R. 188.
43.
429 F Supp. 964 (SDNY 1977).
44.
Preyvel v. Cie Air France (1973) 27 RFDA 198. Also Riviere-Girret v. Ste-Aer-Inter (1979) Uniform L.R. 173.
45.
Panalpina International Transport Ltd. v. Densil Underwear Ltd. (1981) 1 Lloyds Rep. 187.
46.
Mandreoli v. Cie Belge d’Assurance Aviation, Milan 1972 (1974) Dir Mar 157.
47.
(1982) 36 RFDA 342.
48.
(1982) 36 RFDA 355.
49.
Warsaw Convention supra note 231, Article 21.
50.
(1983) 3 All E.R. 693.
51.
Bradfield v. Trans World Airlines Inc. 152 Cal. Rptr 172 (Ca. CA 1972).
52.
Butler v. Aeromexico 774 F. 2d. 499. (11th Cir. 1985).
53.
Piano Remittance Corp. v. Varig Brazilian Airlines Inc. 18 Av. Cas (CCH). 18, 381 (SDNY 1984).
54.
The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to the Assistance and Salvage of Aircraft at Sea, Brussels, 1938, The Rome Convention 1933, and the Warsaw Convention 1929.
55.
Seguritan v. Northwest Airlines Inc. 86 A.D. 2d. 658 (2d Dept. 1982). See also Lloyds Aviation Law Vol. 1 No. 4 August 1 (1982) 1.
56.
Supra, note 231.
57.
932 F.2d 1475, 1479 (D.C. Cis), cert denied, 1125. ct.616 (1991).
58.
No. 93 C 1510, 1994 Westlaw 17 1522 (N.D. Ill. May 2, 1994).
59.
Ibid.
60.
Supra, note 57.<?spieprPar111?>
61.
866 F. Supp. 588 (D.D.C. 1994).
62.
Ibid.
63.
257 Westlaw 151 793 (E.D.N.Y. March 27, 1995).
64.
No. 94-2392 (6 cir. Mar 15, 1996).
65.
Ibid.
66.
920 F. Supp. 408 S.P.N.Y. (1996).
67.
See Koirola v. Thai Airways International, 1996, Westlaw 402403 (N.D. Calif. Jan. 26, 1996).
68.
See ‘Thai Airways found guilty of Wilful Misconduct in 1992 Kathmandu Crash Litigation’, Lloyd’s Aviation Law., Vol 15, No 6, March 15, 1996 at 1.
69.
Id. 2–3.
70.
86 F. 3d 498 (6th Cir. 1996).
71.
Convention on International Civil Aviation signed at Chicago on 7 December 1944, ICAO Doc 7300/9 9th Edition:2006, Annex 13.
72.
Shawcross and Beaumont, Air Law (4ed. Reissue 1988) Op cit at VII(153).
73.
Air France v. Saks 105 S Ct 1338 (1985).
74.
Ibid.
75.
Husserl v. Swiss Air Transport Co. Ltd. 485 F.2d. 1240 (2nd Circ. 1975) Day v. Trans World Airlines Inc. 528 F2d 31 (2nd Circ 1975) Evangelinos v. Trans World Airlines Inc. 550 F2d. 152 (3rd Circ. 1976). See also Salerno v. Pan American World Airways 19 Avi cas 17,705. (SDNY 1985).
76.
Arkin v. Trans International Airlines Inc. 19 Avi Cas 18, 311 (EDNY 1985).
77.
Abdulrahman Al-Zamil v. British Airways Inc. 770 F2d. 3 (2nd Circ. 1985).
78.
Supra, note 55.<?spieprPar141?>
79.
Id. 662.
80.
Vincenty v. Eastern Airlines 528 F. Supp. 171 (D.P.R. 1982). Also Lloyds Aviation Law Vol. 1. No. 3 July 15, 1982 at 2.
81.
Sprayregen v. American Airlines Inc. 570 F. Supp. 16 (SDNY 1983). See also Warshaw v. Trans World Airlines Inc. 443 F. Supp. 400 (ED Pa. 1977). Pironneau v. Cie Air-Inter (Pan CA 03 July 1986). Cf De Marines v. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 586 F 2d 1193 (3rd Circ. 1978).
82.
See Warshaw v. Trans World Airlines Inc. Id. at 408.
83.
O’Leary v. American Airlines 475 N.Y.S. 2d. 285 (A.D. 2d Dept. 1984).
84.
105 S. Ct. 1338 (1985).
85.
Id. 1345.
86.
Abramson V. Japan Airlines Company Ltd. 739 F. 2d. 130 (3rd Circ. 1984).
87.
Scherer v. Pan American World Airways Inc. 387 NYS 2d. 581 (1976).
88.
Supra note 55.<?spieprPar157?>
89.
Supra, note 86.<?spieprPar158?>
90.
Husserl v. Swiss Air Transport Co. Ltd. Op cit. See also, People of the State of Illinois v. Gilberto 383 NE 2d 977.
91.
Day v. Trans World Airlines Inc. 528 F 2d. 31 (2nd Circ. 1975); Evangelinos v. Trans World Airlines Inc. 550 F2d 152 (2d. Circ. 1977); Leppo v. Trans World Airlines Inc.392 NYS 2d 660 (AD 1977); Rolnick v. El Al Israel Airlines Ltd.551 Supp. 261 (EDNY 1982).
92.
1999 Westlaw 7724 (January 12 1999).
93.
Corrigan (1978), p. 25.
94.
Clark v. West Ham Corp., (1909) 2 K.B. 858, Readhead v. Midland Railway Co., (1869) L.R. 4 Q.B. 382, Overseas National Airways v. C.A.B., 307 F. 2d. 634, U.S. v. Stephen Bros. Lines, 384 F. 2d. 118, S.M.T. Ltd. v. Ruch, 50 C.R.T.C. 369, Roussel v. Aumais 18 Que. S.C. 474, Thibault v. Garneau (1959) Que. P.R. 377.
95.
Supra, note 92.
96.
116 S. Ct. 629 (1996).
97.
Burnett v. Riter. 276 S.W. 347, 349 (Tex. 1925). This case defined a common carrier as “one who engages in the transportation of persons or things from place to place for hire, and who holds himself out to the public as ready and willing to serve the public, indifferently, in the particular line in which he is engaged.
98.
http://www.omnisinc.com/anticipatory_intelligence.php.

Reference

Corrigan JM (1978) The right of the air carrier to refuse carriage. Ann Air Space Law III:25
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Aviation Strategies International, Montreal, QC, Canada
Ruwantissa Abeyratne

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Ruwantissa Abeyratne
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Abeyratne, R. (2019). Carrier Liability for Death or Injury: A Comparison. In: Legal Priorities in Air Transport. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18391-2_6

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18391-2_6
Published: 28 May 2019
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-18390-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-18391-2
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