Cargo Claims

David Richards has a degree in law from the University of Exeter and qualified as a solicitor at Ince & Co in 2007, becoming a partner there in 2015. In 2018 he joined North of England P&I club as a deputy director specialising in cargo claims, eventually becoming Deputy Global Head of P&I Claims and Head of Legal & Expertise. In January 2025, he returned to private practice as a Director at Shearwater Law.

• Table of cases xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2 THE CONTRACT OF CARRIAGE 2 CHAPTER 3 CARRIER’S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS CARGO 6 Responsibilities in contract 6 (A) To issue an accurate bill of lading or other transport document 6 (B) To state the condition of the cargo 8 (C) To take reasonable care of cargo 14 (D) To exercise due diligence to ensure the ship is seaworthy prior to the commencement of the voyage 16 (E) To collect General Average securities and procure an adjustment 25Responsibilities in tort 26Responsibilities in bailment 27CHAPTER 4 DELAY AND DEVIATION 31Deviation 33CHAPTER 5 CARGO INTERESTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF CARGO 35(A) Not to ship dangerous cargo without consent 35(B) To accurately declare particulars of the goods 36(C) To take delivery 36(D) To pay General Average and salvage 37CHAPTER 6 DEFENCES TO CARGO CLAIMS 39(A) Common law defences 39(B) Exercise of due diligence 39(C) Carrier’s orbit 40(D) Contracting out of cargo care 40(E) Proof of condition on loading 40(F) Proof of condition on discharge 41G) Causation 42(H) Deck cargo 42(I) Article IV defences 43(J) Title to sue 53(K) Limitation 58(L) Time bars 63(M) Quantification rules 69CHAPTER 7 ASPECTS OF COMMON CARGO CLAIMS 75(A) Misdelivery 75(B) Shortage and over-carriage 77(C) Liquefaction 79(D) Contamination 81CHAPTER 8 CARGO CLAIMS UNDER CHARTERPARTIES AND SHIP SHARING AGREEMENTS 83(A) Charterparties 83(B) Space sharing agreements 84CHAPTER 9 PROOF AND CAUSATION 86(A) Factual causation 86(B) Legal causation 86(C) Circumstantial evidence 87(D) Process of elimination 87(E) Burden of proof in cargo claims 89(F) Dangerous cargo claims 92CHAPTER 10 CARGO INSURERS, SUBROGATION AND RECOVERY AGENTS 97CHAPTER 11 P&I COVER FOR CARGO CLAIMS 99CHAPTER 12 SECURITY FOR CARGO CLAIMS AND P&I CLUB LETTERS OF UNDERTAKING 102CHAPTER 13 ABANDONMENT OF CARGO 110CHAPTER 14 RECOVERY ACTIONS – LETTERS OF INDEMNITY 113 CHAPTER 15 RECOVERY ACTIONS – CHARTERPARTIES 116(A) Cargo responsibility clauses 116(B) Employment order indemnity 117 (C) Unsafe port 120(D) Dangerous cargo 120CHAPTER 16 RECOVERY ACTIONS – THE INTER-CLUB AGREEMENT 122Index 145