Marshall v. Westfal, Larsen & Co.

298 F. 620, 1924 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1661
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedFebruary 21, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 298 F. 620 (Marshall v. Westfal, Larsen & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marshall v. Westfal, Larsen & Co., 298 F. 620, 1924 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1661 (S.D. Ga. 1924).

Opinion

BARRETT, 'District Judge.

Rosa Marshall brought her libel in rem against the Norwegian steamship Samnanger, averring that on January 15, 1923, her late husband, Jerry Marshall, while working as a stevedore on such vessel while in the Savannah river, within the lim- • its of the state of Georgia, was struck by a heavy wire screen used to cover the smokestack, which fell while being hoisted so as to cover such smokestack, causing injuries from which he died the next day (inferentially on shore); that the said death was due to the negligence and carelessness of such steamship and its mastery that the appliances [622]*622for handling the screen were defective, and the method of handling was negligent and cafeless. Damages against such steamship were laid at $30,000. Claim was filed for such vessel by the master for the owners, and bond given. Certain depositions were taken in behalf of such vessel prior to the filing of exceptions to the libel, and they now are on file in the office of the clerk of this court.

Claimant excepted to the libel:

“1. Because an admiralty court has no jurisdiction of a libel in rem to recover damages for a homicide upon the navigable waters, but within the limits of the state of Georgia.
“2. Because the libel does not allege any negligent act which caused the screen therein described to fall and strike libelant’s husband.”

Thereafter libelant amended her libel, alleging that the home port of the Samnanger was in Norway, that the Norwegian law governed, and thaFa libel in rem is permissible under the following law of Norway:

“Section 208, Law of July 20, 1893. A maritime lien upon the ship and the freight shall attach to the following claims:
“(4) Claims for compensation for damage caused through the fault or negligence of any person employed on board in the service of the ship. * * * A maritime lien upon the ship shall also include the apparel of the ship, but not provisions, fuel, coal, or other engineer’s stores.”

1. No right of recovery for homicide exists in admiralty under the general maritime law (The Harrisburg, 119 U. S. 199, 7 Sup. Ct. 140, 30 L. Ed. 358; Western Fuel Co. v. Garcia, 257 U. S. 233, 42 Sup. Ct. 89, 66 L. Ed. 210), nor under any act of Congress, unless “occurring on the high seas beyond a marine league from the shore,” as provided by Act March 30, 1920, c. 111, § 1, being Comp. Stat. 1923 Supp. vol. 1, § 12511/2 (the Harrisburg and Fuel Company Cases, supra). But where death follows from a maritime tort committed on navigable waters within a 'state whose statutes give a right of action because of wrongful death the admiralty courts will entertain a libel in personam for the damages sustained by those to whom such right is given. Western Fuel Co. v. Garcia, supra. But:

“A District Court sitting in admiralty cannot entertain a libel in. rem for damages incurred by loss of life where, by the local law, a right of action survives to the administrator or relatives of the deceased, but no lien is expressly created by the act.” The Corsair, 145 U. S. 335, 12 Sup. Ct. 949. 30 L. Ed. 727; The Aurora (D. C.) 103 Fed. 633; The Kora (D. C.) 181 Fed. 845.

It is not contended that the Georgia statute creating a right of action in the widow for the death of her husband (Park’s Code of Georgia, § 4424) caused by a maritime tortious act gives a lien on the vessel. Furthermore, it has been declared in this court by Judge Speer that such statute did not create a lien. The St. Nicholas, 49 Fed. 671, 676.

2. Libelant contends that, while the above Georgia statute creating the right of action in the widow does not create a lien, such lien is supplied by the foregoing statute of Norway. This drives libelant to the position that the laws of Georgia are applicable for the purpose of creating a right of action, and the laws of Norway.are ap[623]*623plicable to affix a lien to a right of action which, so far as we are advised, is not recognized by the laws of Norway. Under the general maritime law and under the common law no such right of action existed. Insurance Co. v. Brame, 95 U. S. 756, 24 L. Ed. 580; The Harrisburg and Western Fuel Cases, supra. And no information is furnished as to the existence in Norway of any statute creating such right of action. We cannot presume that a statute corresponding to the Georgia statute existed in Norway.

“Generally speaking, as between two common-law countries, tbe common law of one reasonably may be presumed to be what it is decided to be in the 'other, in a case tried in the latter state. But a statute of one would not be presumed to correspond to a statute in the other, and when we leave common-law territory for that where a different system prevails obviously the limits must be narrower still.” Cuba R. R. Co. v. Crosby, 222 U. S. 479, 32 Sup. Ct. 133, 56 L. Ed. 274, 38 L. R. A. (N. S.) 40.

Further:

“It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that, where proof could be so readily furnished as in the case of these statutes, failure to offer such proof should carry an inference strongest against the person who does not offer the proof.” The Hanna Neilsen (D. C.) 267 Fed. 733.

It follows that “claims for compensation for damages” in the Norway statute do not apply to the rights under a “death statute.” The Norway statute cited applies on the high seas. TJ^e Hamilton, 207 U. S. 398, 28 Sup. Ct. 133, 52 L. Ed. 264; International Navigation Co. v. Lindstrom, 123 Fed. 475, 60 C. C. A. 649; The La Bourgogne, 139 Fed. 433, 71 C. C. A. 489; Id., 210 U. S. 95, 28 Sup. Ct. 664, 52 L. Ed. 973; The E. B. Ward, Jr. (C. C.) 17 Fed. 456.

But when the personal injury occurs, especially to a stevedore, in a port of another nation, the law of that nation controls. The Cuzco (D. C.) 225 Fed. 169; The Hanna Neilsen (D. C.) 267 Fed. 729. It is interesting, though not controlling, to note that in The Cuzco, supra, Judge Neterer, at page 175, commented that the Norwegian statute here quoted “does not give a maritime lien for personal injuries suffered by a stevedore.” The cases apparently holding differently as to the law of the flag are where the injured party was intimately connected with the “internal discipline or management of the ship.” Wenzler v. Robin Line (D. C.) 277 Fed. 812, and cases therein cited.

3. It is urged by libelant that by reason of the claimant of the ship taking depositions prior to excepting the right to object to this proceeding in rem was waived. “A maritime lien is a matter of substantive law and not of procedure.” The Cuzco (D. C.) 225 Fed. 169 (2). For the purpose of a libel in rem the existence of a lien is as essential as the right of the widow to sue. The court could and should of its own motion question its right to entertain a libel in rem, when no lien ^existed. See opinion in The Amsadoc in this court, and cases cited, filed September 26, 1923.

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Bluebook (online)
298 F. 620, 1924 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1661, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marshall-v-westfal-larsen-co-gasd-1924.