PART X
COLLISIONS, ACCIDENTS AT SEA AND 1*** LIABILITY

345. Division of loss in case of collision
346. Damages for personal injury
347. Right of contribution
348. Duty of master of ship to assist in case of collision
349. Collision to be entered in official log
350. Report to Central Government of accidents to ships
351. Notice of loss of Indian ship to be given to Central Government

345. Divisions of loss in case of collision-- (1) Whenever by the fault of two or more ships damage or loss is caused to one or more of them or to the cargo of one or more of them or to any of property on board one or more of them, the liability to make good the damage or loss shall be in proportion to the degree in which each ship was at fault.

Provided that--

(a) if, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, it is not possible to establish different degrees of fault, the liability shall be apportioned equally;

(b) nothing in this section shall operator so as to render any ship liable for any loss or damage to which her fault has not contributed;

(c) nothing in this section shall affect the liability of any person under any contract, or shall be construed as imposing any liability upon any person from which is exempted by any contract or by any provision of law, or as affecting the right of any person to limit his liability in the manner provided by law.

(2) For the purposes of this Part, references to damage or loss caused by the fault of a ship shall be construed as including references to any salvage or other expenses, consequent upon that fault, recoverable in law by way of damages.

346. Damages for personal injury-- (1) Whenever loss of life personal injuries are suffered by any person on board a ship owing to the fault of that ship and of any other ship or ships, the liability of the owners of the ship concerned shall be joint and several.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as depriving any person of any right of defence on which, independently of this section, he might have relied in an action brought against him by the person injured, or any person entitled to sue in respect of such loss of life, or shall affect the right of any person to limit has liability in cases to which this section relates in the manner provided by law.

347. Right of contribution-- (1) Whenever loss of life or personal injuries are suffered by a person on board a ship owing to the fault of that ship and of any other ship or ships, and a proportion of the damages is recovered from the owner of one of the ships which exceeds the proportion in which she was in fault, the said owner may recover by way of contirbution the amount of the excess from the owners of the other ships to the extent to which those ships were respectively in fault.

Provided that no amount shall be so recovered which could not, by reason of any statutory or contractual limitation of, or exemption from, liability, or which could not for any other reason, have been recovered in this first instance as damages by the persons entited to sue therefor.

(2) In addition to any other remedy provided by law, the person entitled to any contribution under sub-section (1) shall, for the purpose of recovering the contribution, have, subject to the provisions of this Act, the same rights and powers as the personal entitled to sue for damages in the first instance.

348. Duty of master of ship to assist in case of collision-- In every case of collision between two ships it shall be the duty of the master or person in charge of each ship, if and so far as he can do so without danger to his own ship, crew and passengers, if any--

(a) to render to the other ship, her master, crew and passengers, if any, such assistance as may be predictable and may be necessary to save them from any danger caused by the collision and to stay by the other ship until he has ascertained that she has no need of further assistance, and

(b) to give to the masters or person in charge of the other ships the name of his own ship and of the port to which she belongs and also the names of the ports from which she comes and to which she is bound.

349. Collision to be entered in official log-- In every case of collision in which it is practicable so to do, the master of every ship concerned shall, immediately after the occurance, cause a statement thereof and of the circumstances under which the same occurred to be entered in the official log book, if any, and the entry shall be signed by the master and also by the mate or one of the crew.

350. Report to Central Government accidents to ships-- When a ship has sustained or caused any accident occasioning loss of life or any serious injury to any person or has received any material damage affecting her seaworthiness or her efficiency either in her hull or is so altered in any part of her machinery as not to correspond with the particulars contained in any of the certificates issued under this Act in respect of the ship, the owner or master shall, within twenty-four hours after the happening of the accident or damage or as soon thereafter as possible, transmit to the Central Government or the nearest principal officer a report of the accident or damage and of the probable cause thereof stating the name of the ship, her official number, if any, her port of registry and the place where she is.

351. Notice of loss of Indian ship to be given to Central Government-- If the owner or agent of any Indian ship has reason, owing to the non-appearance of the ship or to any other circumstance, to apprehend taht the ship has been wholly lost, he shall, as soon as conveniently may be, send to the Central Government notice in writing of the loss and of the probable cause thereof stating the name of the ship, her official number, if any, and her port of registry.

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