Gebhard v. S. S. Hawaiian Legislator

284 F. Supp. 634, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9940
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedMay 10, 1968
DocketNo. 66-1653-R
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 284 F. Supp. 634 (Gebhard v. S. S. Hawaiian Legislator) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gebhard v. S. S. Hawaiian Legislator, 284 F. Supp. 634, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9940 (C.D. Cal. 1968).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

REAL, District Judge.

This matter now comes before the Court upon defendants’ Motion To Dismiss Action On Ground That Court Lacks Jurisdiction of Subject Matter.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff is a member of the Marine Clerks and Longshoremen Union. On July 31, 1966, he was assigned by his union to work as a marine clerk at Matson Terminals Berth Number 200-A, Wilmington, California. As a marine clerk, plaintiff’s duty was to make sure that the proper container of cargo was loaded aboard a ship in a pre-determined sequence. Specifically he advised the drivers of straddle carriers the number of vans the driver was to bring to the crane for loading aboard ship.

On July 31, 1966, plaintiff was performing this duty in connection with the loading of the vessel S.S. HAWAIIAN LEGISLATOR, owned and operated by defendant Matson Navigation Company.

A straddle carrier is a vehicle used in carrying large container vans loaded with cargo from its place of origin on the dock to a place where a crane stationed either dockside or aboard ship picks up the container and places it aboard the vessel. The straddle carrier lowers a frame work to the top of the van container and engages grappling hooks in holes in the van container to lift the container from the ground so it can be moved. The operator sits atop the straddle carrier and operates it from that position.

On July 31, 1966, at approximately 9:00 P.M., plaintiff was engaged in his duties as a marine clerk at Berth 200-A and was walking from his duty station near the crane on the pier toward a straddle carrier to give the operator instructions for bringing van containers [636]*636to the crane when he was struck from behind by another straddle carrier resulting in the injury alleged in his complaint.

At the time of his injury plaintiff was employed by defendant Matson Terminals, Inc. The straddle carriers were owned and operated by defendant Mat-son Terminals, Inc.

Plaintiff brings his action pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 740 et seq. alleging unseaworthiness of the vessel and negligence on the part of the ship owner thus bringing the action within the admiralty jurisdiction of this Court. Defendants bring their motion to dismiss contending that plaintiff’s injuries, occurred on shore and not involved with the vessel.

JURISDICTION UNDER THE ADMIRALTY EXTENSION ACT, 46 U.S.C. § 740 et seq.

Title 46 U.S.C. § 740 provides in its pertinent part:

“ § 740. Extension of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; libel in rem or in personam; exclusive remedy; waiting period.
The admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States shall extend to and include all cases of damage or injury, to person or property caused by a vessel on navigable water, notwithstanding that such damage or injury be done or consummated on land.
In any such case suit may be brought in rem or in personam according to the principles of law and the rules of practice obtaining in cases where the injury or damage has been done and consummated on navigable water * * * ”

Prior to passage of § 740 as the Admiralty Extension Act in 1948, it was settled law that the admiralty jurisdiction delegated to the federal judiciary by Article 3, Section 2 of the Constitution1 did not extend to torts of a vessel which were consummated ashore. The Plymouth, 70 U.S. (3 Wall.) 20, 18 L.Ed. 125 (1866); United States v. Matson Nav. Co., 201 F.2d 610, 613-614 (9th Cir. 1953).

In enacting § 740, Congress provided a remedy in admiralty for “ship to shore” damage previously cognizable only under the common law in state courts in the absence of diversity of citizenship jurisdiction on the law side of the federal courts.2 Although primarily concerned with property damage caused by and to vessels to and from shoreside activities, Congress included personal injury. The nature of the liability, i. e. negligence and/or unseaworthiness was left unresolved.

In imposing liability upon a vessel owner to a longshoreman injured ashore through the unseaworthiness of the ship’s tackle, the court in Strika v. Netherlands Ministry of Traffic, 185 F.2d 555 (2d Cir. 1950) rejected the applicability of 46 U.S.C. § 740. The court says at page 558:

“It is true that Congress has not intervened as to seaworthiness * * *. [Ajlthough we have been unable to find a decision holding that a seaman, injured ashore by unseaworthy ship’s gear, can recover, we have no doubt that he could; and, if a seaman can, we see no reason to question the ability of a longshoreman also to recover * * *. Public Law 695 of June 19, 1948, 46 U.S.C, § 740, has now probably laid all such doubts, but we think that it was not necessary in order to support a recovery in this particular situation.” (emphasis supplied)

Although stating jurisdiction as diversity of citizenship, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pope and [637]*637Talbot, Inc. v. Cordray, 258 F.2d 214 (9th Cir. 1958) adopted the reasoning of Strika, supra, to approve an instruction to the jury upon the doctrine of unseaworthiness for a shoreside injury to a longshoreman without reference to the Admiralty Extension Act.

Accepting findings of the trial court upon negligence, the Supreme Court in Gutierrez v. Waterman S. S. Corp., 373 U.S. 206, 83 S.Ct. 1185, 10 L.Ed.2d 297, makes clear that the Admiralty Extension Act codified as 46 U.S.C. § 740 applies only to extend jurisdiction to shoreside “damage or injury, to person or property” upon a cause of action in negligence. The court says at page 209-210, 83 S.Ct. at page 1188 :

“Respondent contends that it is not liable, at least in admiralty, because the impact of its alleged lack of care or unseaworthiness was felt on the pier rather than aboard ship. Whatever validity this proposition may have had until 1948, the passage of the Extension of Admiralty Jurisdiction Act, 62 Stat. 496, 46 U.S.C. § 740, swept it away when it made vessels on navigable water liable for damage or injury ‘notwithstanding that such damage or injury be done or consummated on land.’ Respondent and the carrier amici curiae

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284 F. Supp. 634, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9940, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gebhard-v-s-s-hawaiian-legislator-cacd-1968.