Surveyor €1.56 million claim rejected

International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has warned that the wording of instructions can potentially widen the scope of liability for marine service providers, citing the recent case of a marine surveyor sued for €1.56 million for alleged poor onboard stowage of a cargo. The marine surveyor in Germany was engaged by charterers to attend the loading of a cargo and to report on any damage caused by the stevedores. The emailed instructions from the charterer contained the following provisions: “We hereby order the following: supervision of the loading/preloading survey; reporting of eventual damages to the coating or the material – and time of damage; reporting of negligence while handling the material and loading; detailed documentation, with photos, of the loading operations; no continuous supervision will be necessary, only during the important moments (commencement of loading operations – change of shift – securing of the cargo).”