In Brief
In 1987, the vessel M.V. Chennai Nermai collided with a coal loader while being berthed at Haldia Dock, causing damage. The Port Trust claimed the Master was solely negligent; the vessel's owner argued liability was shared due to the Berthing Master's failure to verify draft and multiple other factors. A Government-appointed expert Committee found the accident resulted from a combination of five factors with no single party responsible. The Supreme Court agreed, holding that while the Master should have informed the Berthing Master of deballasting, the Berthing Master was equally negligent for failing to check draft despite his duty to do so. The Court set aside the Division Bench's finding of sole Master liability, restored the Single Judge's decree exonerating the vessel, and held that the accident resulted from multiple contributing factors beyond any individual's control."
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