CSAV ruling gives shippers advantage in cargo damage cases

The UK Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that set a precedent in favour of shipowners when cargoes arrive damaged.

Lord Jonathan Sumption rejected a 2016 court of appeal judgement in favour of Chilean line CSAV in a dispute with cargo owner Volcafe. The fight focuses on coffee beans shipped from Colombia to Germany.

He said the court was wrong to overturn the original finding that evidence fell short of proving any sufficiently uniform or accepted practice to serve as a benchmark for measuring the carrier’s care for the cargo.