Opinion ID: 321227
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: heavy lift

Text: 42 The district court's conclusion that Heavy Lift must bear full liability was based primarily upon the rationale of Cabot Corporation v. S.S. Mormacscan, 441 F.2d 476 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 855, 92 S.Ct. 104, 30 L.Ed.2d 96 (1971) and Rupp v. International Terminal Operating Co., Inc., 479 F.2d 674 (2d Cir. 1973). 43 In Cabot, a negligent stevedore claimed that a bill of lading entitled it to a $500 limitation of liability. The bill of lading contained a limitation provision virtually identical to paragraph 17 of De Laval's bill. Similarly, the definition of 'carrier' in the Cabot bill of lading tracked paragraph 2 of De Laval's bill, except that the Cabot bill also protected 'all persons rendering services in connection with performance of this contract.' 9 441 F.2d at 478. Reasoning that one 'can only guess' whether the limitation provision incorporates all categories specified in the definition of 'carrier' and whether that definition of carrier can be construed to include a stevedore, the Second Circuit held that the Cabot bill of lading did not clearly express an intention to limit the stevedore's liability. The Court explained its conclusion as follows: 44 While there is no doubt that the parties to a bill of lading may extend a contractual benefit to a third party by clearly expressing their intent to do so, Herd & Co. v. Krawill Machinery Corp., supra (359 U.S.) at 302, 79 S.Ct. 766, an intention to extend benefits of the limitation in the present bill to the stevedore would most naturally have been expressed by the addition of the term 'stevedore' to the long list of various persons included under the definition of 'carrier' in clause 2. In Carle & Montanari, Inc. v. American Export Isbrandtsen Lines, Inc., 275 F.Supp. 76 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd per curiam, 386 F.2d 839 (2d Cir. 1967), cert. denied sub nom. Carle & Montanari v. John W. McGrath Corp., 390 U.S. 1013, 88 S.Ct. 1263, 20 L.Ed.2d 162 (1968), the benefit of the $500.00 limitation was extended to the same stevedore involved here, but the bill of lading included the language 'all agents and all stevedores.' 275 F.Supp. at 78. The failure to include similar language here would lead one to believe that the protection of stevedores against liability was not intended. In any case such an intention was not expressed with sufficient 'clarity of language.' 45 We will 'not stretch the language when the party drafting such a form contract has not included a provision it easily might have.' The Monrosa v. Carbon Black Export, Inc., 359 U.S. 180, 183, 79 S.Ct. 710, 712, 3 L.Ed.2d 723 (1959). 46 441 F.2d at 478-479. Construing the same bill of lading two years later, the Second Circuit reaffirmed Cabot in Rupp v. International Terminal Operating Co., Inc., supra. 47 We find the Second Circuit's reasoning to be sound and persuasive. Had De Laval and Industries intended to protect Heavy Lift, the most logical method of doing so would have been to include the term 'stevedore', or a phrase clearly and specifically referring to the stevedoring function, 10 within the bill of lading's definition of a 'carrier'. The parties did not do so. 11 In the absence of such a provision, Herd places a heavy burden upon Heavy Lift to point to other language in the documents which clearly and concisely extends the limitation of liability to the stevedore. 48 In support of its position, Heavy Lift does no more than allude to random and generalized terms in the bill of lading and contract of affreightment. 12 We hold that neither these provisions nor any other provision in the relevant documents, taken either individually or in combination, express with sufficient clarity an intent to limit Heavy Lift's liability. Accordingly, we agree with the district court that Heavy Lift's liability should extend to the full amount of De Laval's damages.