Reino de España v. The American Bureau of Shipping, Inc.
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
729 F. Supp. 2d 635 (2010)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
An oil tanker called the M.T. Prestige sank 140 miles off the coast of Spain (plaintiff). Before sinking, the Prestige discharged millions of gallons of oil into Spain’s territorial waters, causing significant environmental damage. The American Bureau of Shipping, Inc. (ABS) (defendant) was an independent ship-classification society headquartered in Texas. ABS conducted surveys of vessels to determine whether they complied with ABS’s rules and international treaties to which the flag state was a party. ABS had certified the Prestige as fit to carry oil. Spain sued ABS in United States federal court, alleging that ABS was reckless in its classification of the Prestige. Spain sought compensatory damages of over $1 billion. ABS filed a motion for summary judgment.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Swain, J.)
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