瑞克麦斯热那亚航运公司、瑞克麦斯轮船公司诉CS海运株式会社船舶碰撞损害赔偿纠纷案——论海事赔偿责任限制“先抵销、后限制”的具体适用

海事赔偿责任限制制度有着悠久的历史,在实践中也发挥了重要作用。《中华人民共和国海商法》对海事赔偿责任限制也有明确的规定,但在具体适用上,还存在着一些不足之处。《中华人民共和国海商法》规定救助款项不属于可限制性债权的范围,但这仅针对被救助方而言。当被救助方将自己所支付的救助款项作为己方损失要求对方赔偿时,因该救助款项是碰撞所致损害的一部分,对方可以主张适用海事赔偿责任限制。如果一次海难事故一方存在非人身伤亡的赔偿请求,另一方存在人身伤亡的赔偿请求,两类不同性质的赔偿请求不能依据民法债的一般原理先行抵消,应依法适用各自的责任限额,最后再实现债的抵消。保险人取得代位求偿权后,向责任方主张其应承担的赔偿责任时,应视为＂就同一事故向请求人提出反请求＂,因此在被保险人享受责任限制的情况下,保险人的请求金额应当适用＂先抵销、后限制＂的规定。

Claims for Damages caused by Ship＇s Collision Filed by Plaintiff RICKMERS GENOA SCHIFFAHRTSGESELLSCHAFT MBH ＆ CIE.KG,Plaintiff RICKMERS-LINE GMBH ＆ CIE,KG against CS MARINE LTD.——with regard to the specific application of the rule of ＂limitation after of

The system of limitation of liability for maritime claims enjoys a long history,which also plays an important role in practice.Despite that the Maritime Code of P.R.C.stipulates on the limitation of liability for maritime claims,certain deficiencies still remain in the specific application of the same.As stipulated in the Maritime Code of P.R.C.,salvage payments are not claims subject to limitation of liability,however,this only applies to the salved party.When the salved party claims against the opponent for compensation of the salvage payments incurred thereby as his own losses,such payments shall constitute an integral part of damages caused by the collision,for which limitation of liability for maritime claims shall apply.If in a marine incident,one party claims for losses of or damages to properties,while the other party claims for losses of life or personal injury,such two claims with different nature shall not be offset in accordance with general principles adopted for debts in civil law system,rather,each claim shall be subject to its respective limitation of liability before the same may be offset ultimately.The insurer shall be deemed as ＂make counterclaim in respect of one same accident＂ when he claims against the person liable for compensation after he duly obtains the right of subrogation.Therefore,the claim amount of the insurer shall apply the rule of ＂limitation after offset＂ once the insured is entitled to limit his liability.