Lichten v. Eastern Airlines, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
189 F.2d 939 (1951)
- Written by Alex Hall, JD
Facts
Eastern Airlines, Inc. (Eastern) (defendant) mistakenly delivered luggage belonging to Lichten (plaintiff) to a different city than her destination. The luggage was returned but was missing jewelry worth over $3,000. A tariff filed by Eastern exempted Eastern from liability for lost baggage, including contents such as jewelry. Lichten brought an action for the value of the missing jewelry, arguing that the common-law rule prevented common carriers from exempting themselves from liability for negligence and therefore the tariff was invalid. Lichten also argued that Eastern’s mistake was so egregious that, as a matter of principal, Eastern should not be able to avoid liability. The district court granted summary judgment for Eastern.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Chase, J.)
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