Serrano v. Empresa Lineas Maritimas Argentinas
Serrano v. Empresa Lineas Maritimas Argentinas
Opinion of the Court
After the first opinion of this Court herein, 257 F.Supp. 870 (1966), which should be read as part of this opinion, plaintiff filed a second amended complaint, alleging two causes of action:
First, a civil claim against Ramsay, Scarlett & Company and Baltimore Stevedoring Company (hereinafter, as in the earlier opinion, referred to collectively as “defendant stevedores”).
Second, a claim against his employer Empresa Lineas Marítimas Argentinas (Empresa), alleged to be within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of this Court, based upon (1) the general maritime law as it would be enforced in the courts of Argentina,
Empresa has moved the Court to decline to exercise its jurisdiction over the claim alleged against Empresa, for the reason that “plaintiff’s rights against Empresa are * * * governed exclusively by the laws and statutes of Argentina, which are presumably better understood and applied by an Argentinian (sic) rather than an American court”.
Defendant stevedores have filed a third-party complaint against Empresa, seeking .indemnity, based upon alleged instructions given by the master and mates of the vessel and an alleged implied warranty. Empresa has not asserted a third-party claim against defendant stevedores.
At pretrial conferences herein plaintiff and Empresa agreed that plaintiff sought and received compensation benefits from Empresa under Law No. 9.688, commonly known as “Ley de Accidentes del Trabajo” (Work Accidents Law), including lost wages, medical treatment and a 5% disability award, and that he has returned to his maritime employment. Each side has presented the opinion of a Doctor Juris or Counsellor familiar with Argentine law. The doctors disagree as to whether the acceptance of compensation benefits under Law No. 9.688 bars an action for negligence, brought under the Commercial Code or the Civil Code,
The Fourth Circuit, this Court and the courts in other circuits have discussed
Under all the circumstances, this Court concludes that it should exercise its discretion to abstain from deciding whether plaintiff is entitled to recover against Empresa on the claims asserted in this case. Nevertheless, no order to that effect should be entered at this time. Such an order can and should be delayed until plaintiff’s claim against defendant stevedores in this case has been disposed of by settlement or trial. ■ If the case goes to trial, plaintiff will have an opportunity to produce his witnesses, both factual and medical. Empresa will still be in the case and will be entitled to cross-examine the witnesses called by plaintiff or by defendant stevedores, to object to any evidence offered against it, and to offer evidence itself. Any evidence which would be admissible with respect to plaintiff’s claim against Empresa but not with respect to the claims against or by defendant stevedores can be taken out of the presence of the jury. A transcript of the trial, together with the exhibits, can readily be sent to an Argentine court for any legal and appropriate use there, and the Argentine court can apply the Argentine law to the facts.
Empresa’s motion is therefore denied at this time, without prejudice to Empresa’s right to renew it at an appropriate time, as indicated above.
. The allegations were so construed in an unreported memorandum and order filed herein on January 18, 1967.
. The doctrine of unseaworthiness has apparently not been applied to benefit seamen in Argentina.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Sixto Torridio SERRANO v. EMPRESA LINEAS MARITIMAS ARGENTINAS, a body corporate, and Ramsay, Scarlett & Company, Inc., a body corporate and Baltimore Stevedoring Company of Baltimore City, a body corporate BALTIMORE STEVEDORING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, a body corporate v. EMPRESA LINEAS MARITIMAS ARGENTINAS, a body corporate
- Status
- Published