Schnell v. The Vallescura

293 U.S. 296, 55 S.Ct. 194, 79 L.Ed. 373, 1934 AMC 1573 (1934)

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Schnell v. The Vallescura

United States Supreme Court
293 U.S. 296, 55 S.Ct. 194, 79 L.Ed. 373, 1934 AMC 1573 (1934)

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Facts

Schnell (plaintiff) contracted with the owners of the vessel Vallescura (defendants) to ship Schnell’s onions on the vessel from Spain to New York. The onions were in good condition when they were loaded onto the Vallescura but were damaged by decay when they arrived in New York. Schnell sued the Vallescura and her owners for the damages. At trial, evidence showed that the decay was caused by a lack of ventilation in the cargo hold, in part because of having to shut the hatches during rough weather and in part by the crew’s negligence in failing to open the hatches during fair weather. The district court appointed a special commissioner to compute the damages that could be attributed to the Vallescura’s owners. The commissioner held that the owners had failed to prove what portion of the damages was due to bad weather and that the owners were therefore responsible for all of the damages. The district court awarded Schnell all claimed damages, and the ship owners appealed. The circuit court reversed, and Schnell appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Stone, J.)

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