The UK supreme court has ruled in favour of shipowner Daiichi in a landmark case arising from the loss of the capesize bulker Ocean Victory at Kashima in Japan in 2006.
It unanimously dismissed insurer Gard and China National Chartering Co’s appeals in respect of claims against the Japanese shipowner, reaffirming the earlier court of appeal decision that the port of Kashima was not unsafe and that the grounding and total loss of the 171,000-dwt ship (built 2006) was the result of an abnormal occurrence.
