2014 US Code
Title 46 - Shipping (Sections 101 - 80509)
Subtitle III - Maritime Liability (Sections 30101 - 31343)
Chapter 307 - Liability of Water Carriers (Sections 30701 - 30707)
Sec. 30706 - Defenses
| Publication Title | United States Code, 2012 Edition, Supplement 2, Title 46 - SHIPPING |
| Category | Bills and Statutes |
| Collection | United States Code |
| SuDoc Class Number | Y 1.2/5: |
| Contained Within | Title 46 - SHIPPING Subtitle III - Maritime Liability CHAPTER 307 - LIABILITY OF WATER CARRIERS Sec. 30706 - Defenses |
| Contains | section 30706 |
| Date | 2014 |
| Laws In Effect As Of Date | January 5, 2015 |
| Positive Law | Yes |
| Disposition | standard |
| Source Credit | Pub. L. 109-304, §6(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1517. |
| Statutes at Large References | 27 Stat. 445 120 Stat. 1517 |
| Public and Private Laws | Public Law 109-304 |
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(a) Due Diligence.—If a carrier has exercised due diligence to make the vessel in all respects seaworthy and to properly man, equip, and supply the vessel, the carrier and the vessel are not liable for loss or damage arising from an error in the navigation or management of the vessel.
(b) Other Defenses.—A carrier and the vessel are not liable for loss or damage arising from—
(1) dangers of the sea or other navigable waters;
(2) acts of God;
(3) public enemies;
(4) seizure under legal process;
(5) inherent defect, quality, or vice of the goods;
(6) insufficiency of package;
(7) act or omission of the shipper or owner of the goods or their agent; or
(8) saving or attempting to save life or property at sea, including a deviation in rendering such a service.
(Pub. L. 109–304, §6(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1517.)
| Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
|---|---|---|
| 30706 | 46 App.:192. | Feb. 13, 1893, ch. 105, §3, 27 Stat. 445. |
This section is restated as two subsections to clarify that the exercise of due diligence in making the vessel seaworthy is a condition only to the defense of error in navigation or management restated in subsection (a). See May v. Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt Aktiengesellschaft (The Isis), 290 U.S. 333, 353 (1933). The words "transporting merchandise or property to or from any port in the United States of America" are omitted because of section 30702(a) of the revised title.
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