In re Moran for Limitation of Liability
In re Moran for Limitation of Liability
Opinion of the Court
The sad occurrence which caused the death of two pilots while in their yawl boat alongside the bark Methuselah, by being crushed bettveen that bark and the tug Moran, was the result of negligence. I find no negligence ou the part of the pilots; for while it is true that, if the yawl’s line had not been cast off from the hark, no injury would have been done, I do not think it was negligence on the part of the pilots to cast off their line when they did. The bark was moving. The proper thing- to do, as soon as the pilot they were taking stepped into the yawl, was to cast off the line. The yawl was in plain sight of the tugboat, and the pilots had a righ t to suppose that the tugboat would not come close enough to the bark to catch the yawl as it was drifting aft alongside the bark and touching the same. Neither do I think it was negligence on the part of the pilots to attempt to climb on the rail of the tugboat when they saw the tugboat upon them. All in the yawl were at that time in a state of alarm because of the dangerous approach of the tug. To attempt to climb over the rail of the tug- when the tug came upon the yawl was a rational thing to do under the circumstances, and
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE M. MORAN. In re PETITION OF MORAN FOR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
- Status
- Published