Opinion

Pierce v. Winsor

  • 19 F. Cas. 652
  • 2 Sprague 35
Court
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Massachusetts
Filed
May 15, 1861
Status
Published
Author
Sprague
On the bench
Sprague
Cited by
3 cases
Authority
More cited than 85.0%

The opinion

.SPRAGUE, District Judge.

In Brass v. Maitland, 6 El. & Bl. 470, the chief justice evidently took the view that the shipper of goods in a general ship impliedly contracts that the goods shipped shall not be injurious to other goods shipped in the usual course of lading a ship, and that this rule is not affected by the fact that the skipper had innocently shipped dangerous goods without knowledge of their true character. This principle is a sound one. It throws the loss upon the party who generally has the best means of informing himself as to the character of the article shipped. A different rule might encourage negligence on the part of the shipper, and even induce him to try experiments with articles unknown to commerce, if he could set up his ignorance of the real character of the articles as a defence to any damage caused by the shipment This ease is not between the shipper and the shipowner; but the rule applies equally well to the ease of a charterer. He hires the whole ship, and has a right to put on board a full cargo, and he must not put on board goods which will injure the ship, and cause her owners to become responsible to other shippers for damage done. Decree for libellant for money paid by him for other goods damaged, and for extra expense incurred in getting out the mastic.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.