United States v. Reliable Transfer Co., Inc., 421 U.S. 397 (1975)

United States v. Reliable Transfer Co., Inc.


No. 74-363


Argued March 19, 1975
Decided May 19, 1975
421 U.S. 397

CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT

Syllabus

The admiralty rule of divided damages, whereby the property damage in a maritime collision or stranding is equally divided whenever two or more parties involved are found to be guilty of contributory fault, regardless of the relative degree of their fault, held replaced by a rule requiring liability for such damage to be allocated among the parties proportionately to the comparative degree of their fault, and to be allocated equally only when the parties are equally at fault or when it is not possible fairly to measure the comparative degree of their fault. Pp. 401-411.

497 F.2d 1036, vacated and remanded.

STEWART, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.