Commentary
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Part One: Rules common to all types of insurance
- Chapter 1: Introductory provisions
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Chapter 2: General rules relating to the scope of the insurance
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Section 1: Insurable interest and insurable value
- General
- Clause 2-1. Insurance unrelated to any interest
- Clause 2-2. Insurable value
- Clause 2-3. Agreed insurable value
- Clause 2-4. Under-insurance
- Clause 2-5. Over-insurance
- Clause 2-6. Liability of the insurer when the interest is also insured with another insurer
- Clause 2-7. Recourse between the insurers where the interest is insured with two or more insurers
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Section 2: Perils insured against, causation and loss
- General
- Clause 2-8. Perils covered by an insurance against marine perils
- Clause 2-9. Perils covered by an insurance against war perils
- Clause 2-10. Perils insured against when no agreement has been made as to what perils are covered by the insurance
- Clause 2-11. Causation. Incidence of loss
- Clause 2-12. Main rule relating to the burden of proof
- Clause 2-13. Combination of perils
- Clause 2-14. Combination of marine and war perils
- Clause 2-15. Losses deemed to be caused entirely by war perils
- Clause 2-16. Loss attributable either to marine or war perils
- Clause 2-17. Sanction limitation and exclusion
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Section 1: Insurable interest and insurable value
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Chapter 3: Duties of the person effecting the insurance and of the assured
- General remarks
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Section 1: Duty of disclosure of the person effecting the insurance
- Clause 3-1. Scope of the duty of disclosure
- Clause 3-2. Fraudulent misrepresentation
- Clause 3-3. Other failure to fulfil the duty of disclosure
- Clause 3-4. Innocent breach of the duty of disclosure
- Clause 3-5. Cases where the insurer may not invoke breach of the duty of disclosure
- Clause 3-6. Duty of the insurer to give notice
- Clause 3-7. Right of the insurer to obtain particulars from the vessel's classification society, etc.
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Section 2: Alteration of the risk
- Clause 3-8. Alteration of the risk
- Clause 3-9. Alteration of the risk caused or agreed to by the assured
- Clause 3-10. Right of the insurer to cancel the insurance
- Clause 3-11. Duty of the assured to give notice
- Clause 3-12. Cases where the insurer may not invoke alteration of the risk
- Clause 3-13. Duty of the insurer to give notice
- Clause 3-14. Loss of the main class
- Clause 3-15. Trading areas
- Clause 3-16. Illegal undertakings
- Clause 3-17. Suspension of insurance in the event of requisition
- Clause 3-18. Notification of requisition
- Clause 3-19. Suspension of insurance while the vessel is temporarily seized
- Clause 3-20. Removal of the vessel to a repair yard
- Clause 3-21. Change of ownership
- Section 3: Safety regulations
- Section 4: Measures to avert or minimise loss, etc.
- Section 5: Casualties caused intentionally or negligently by the assured
- Section 6. Identification
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Chapter 4: Liability of the insurer
- General
- Section 1: General rules relating to the liability of the insurer
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Section 2: Costs of measures to avert or minimise the loss, including salvage awards and general average
- General
- Clause 4-7. Compensation of the costs of measures to avert or minimise loss
- Clause 4-8. General average
- Clause 4-9. General average apportionment where the interests belong to the same person
- Clause 4-10. Damage to and loss of the object insured
- Clause 4-11. Assumed general average
- Clause 4-12. Costs of particular measures taken to avert or minimise loss
- Section 3: Liability of the assured to third parties
- Section 4: The sum insured as the limit of the liability of the insurer
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Chapter 5: Settlement of claims
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Section 1: Claims adjustment, interest, payments on account, etc.
- Clause 5-1. Duty of the assured to provide information and documents
- Clause 5-2. Claims adjustment
- Clause 5-3. Rates of exchange
- Clause 5-4. Interest on the compensation
- Clause 5-5. Disputes concerning the adjustment of the claim
- Clause 5-6. Due date
- Clause 5-7. Duty of the insurer to make a payment on account
- Clause 5-8. Payment on account when there is a dispute as to which insurer is liable for the loss
- Section 2: Liability of the assured to third parties
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Section 3: Claims by the assured for damages against third parties
- Clause 5-13. Right of subrogation of the insurer to claims by the assured for damages against third parties
- Clause 5-14. Waiver of claim for damages
- Clause 5-15. Duty of the assured to assist the insurer with information and documents
- Clause 5-16. Duty of the assured to maintain and safeguard the claim
- Clause 5-17. Decisions concerning legal proceedings or appeals
- Clause 5-18. Salvage award which entails compensation for loss covered by the insurer
- Section 4: Right of the insurer to take over the object insured upon payment of a claim
- Section 5: Limitation, etc.
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Section 1: Claims adjustment, interest, payments on account, etc.
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Chapter 6: Premium
- General
- Clause 6-1. Payment of premium
- Clause 6-2. Right of the insurer to cancel the insurance in the event of non-payment of premium
- Clause 6-3. Premium in the event of total loss
- Clause 6-4. Additional premium when the insurance is extended
- Clause 6-5. Reduction of premium
- Clause 6-6. Reduction of premium when the vessel is laid up or in similar situations
- Clause 6-7. Claim for a reduction of premium
- Chapter 7: Co-insurance of mortgagees
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Chapter 8: Co-insurance of third parties
- General
- Clause 8-1. Rights of third parties against the insurer
- Clause 8-2. Protection of third parties against subrogation claims from the insurer
- Clause 8-3. Application of the rules in Chapter 3 and Clause 5-1
- Clause 8-4. Amendments and cancellation of the insurance contract
- Clause 8-5. Handling of claims, claims adjustment, etc.
- Clause 8-6. Other insurance
- Clause 8-7. Independent co-insurance of mortgagees or named third parties
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Chapter 9: Relations between the claims leader and co-insurers
- General
- Clause 9-1. Definitions
- Clause 9-2. The right of the claims leader to act on behalf of the co-insurers
- Clause 9-3. Lay-up plan
- Clause 9-4. Notification of a casualty
- Clause 9-5. Salvage
- Clause 9-6. Removal and repairs
- Clause 9-7. Provision of security
- Clause 9-8. Disputes with third parties
- Clause 9-9. Claims adjustment
- Clause 9-10. Insolvency of a co-insurer
- Clause 9-11. Interest on the disbursements of the claims leader
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Part Two: Hull insurance
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Chapter 10: General rules relating to the scope of the hull insurance
- Clause 10-1. Objects insured
- Clause 10-2. Objects, etc. temporarily removed from the vessel
- Clause 10-3. Loss due to ordinary use
- Clause 10-4. Insurance "on full conditions"
- Clause 10-5. Insurance “against total loss only” (T.L.O.)
- Clause 10-6. Insurance “against total loss and general average contribution only”
- Clause 10-7. Insurance “against total loss, general average contribution and collision liability only”
- Clause 10-8. Insurance "on stranding terms"
- Clause 10-9. Duration of voyage insurance
- Clause 10-10. Extension of the insurance
- Clause 10-11. Liability of the insurer if the vessel is salvaged by the assured
- Clause 10-12. Reduction of liability in consequence of an interest insurance
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Chapter 11: Total loss
- Clause 11-1. Total loss
- Clause 11-2. Salvage attempts
- Clause 11-3. Condemnation
- Clause 11-4. Condemnation in the event of a combination of perils
- Clause 11-5. Request for condemnation
- Clause 11-6. Removal of the vessel
- Clause 11-7. Missing or abandoned vessel
- Clause 11-8. Extension of the insurance when the vessel is missing or abandoned
- Clause 11-9. Liability of the insurer during the period of clarification
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Chapter 12: Damage
- General
- Clause 12-1. Main rule concerning liability of the insurer
- Clause 12-2. Compensation for unrepaired damage
- Clause 12-3. Inadequate maintenance, etc.
- Clause 12-4. Error in design, etc.
- Clause 12-5. Losses that are not recoverable
- Clause 12-6. Deferred repairs
- Clause 12-7. Temporary repairs
- Clause 12-8. Costs incurred in expediting repairs
- Clause 12-9. Repairs of a vessel that is condemnable
- Clause 12-10. Survey of damage
- Clause 12-11. Invitations to tender
- Clause 12-12. Choice of repair yard
- Clause 12-13. Removal of the vessel
- Clause 12-14. Apportionment of common expenses
- Clause 12-15. Ice damage deductions
- Clause 12-16. Machinery damage deductions
- Clause 12-17. Compensation without deductions
- Clause 12-18. Deductible
- Clause 12-19. Basis for calculation of deductions according to Clauses 12-15 to 12-18 and Clause 3-15
- Chapter 13: Liability of the assured arising from collision or striking
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Chapter 10: General rules relating to the scope of the hull insurance
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Part Three: Other insurances for ocean-going vessels
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Chapter 14: Separate insurances against total loss
- General
- Clause 14-1. Insurance against total loss and excess collision liability (hull interest insurance)
- Clause 14-2. Insurance against loss of long-term freight income (freight interest insurance)
- Clause 14-3. Common rules for separate insurances against total loss
- Clause 14-4. Limitations on the right to effect separate insurances against total loss
- Chapter 15: War risks insurance
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Chapter 16: Loss of hire insurance
- General
- Clause 16-1. Main rules regarding the liability of the insurer
- Clause 16-2. Total loss
- Clause 16-3. Main rule for calculating compensation
- Clause 16-4. Calculation of the loss of time
- Clause 16-5. The daily amount
- Clause 16-6. Agreed daily amount
- Clause 16-7. Deductible period
- Clause 16-8. Survey of damage
- Clause 16-9. Choice of repair yard
- Clause 16-10. Removal to the repair yard, etc.
- Clause 16-11. Extra costs incurred in order to avert or minimise loss
- Clause 16-12. Simultaneous repairs
- Clause 16-13. Loss of time after completion of repairs
- Clause 16-14. Repairs carried out after expiry of the insurance period
- Clause 16-15. Liability of the insurer when the vessel is transferred to a new owner
- Clause 16-16. Relationship to other insurances and general average
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Chapter 14: Separate insurances against total loss
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Part Four: Other insurances
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Chapter 17: Insurance for fishing vessels
- General
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Section 1: General provisions
- Clause 17-1. Scope of application
- Clause 17-2. Renewal of the insurance/Ref. Clause 1-5
- Clause 17-3. Trading areas for fishing vessels/Ref. Clause 3-15
- Clause 17-4. Classification and vessel inspection/Ref. Clause 3-14 and Clause 3-8
- Clause 17-5. Safety regulations/Ref. Clause 3-22 and Clause 3-25
- Clause 17-6. Savings to the assured
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Section 2: Hull insurance
- General
- Clause 17-7. The relationship to Chapters 10-13
- Clause 17-7A. Fixed equipment temporarily removed from the vessel
- Clause 17-8. Change of the open or agreed insurable value/Ref. Clause 2-2 and Clause 2-3
- Clause 17-9. Damage to lifeboats, fishing, whaling and sealing tackle and catch/Ref. Clause 4-7 to Clause 4-12 and Clause 4-16
- Clause 17-10. Hull and freight-interest insurance/Ref. Clause 10-12
- Clause 17-11. Condemnation/Ref. Clause 11-3
- Clause 17-12. Damage to the hull of vessels which are not built of steel/Ref. Clause 12-1
- Clause 17-13. Limited cover of damage to machinery
- Clause 17-14. Costs incurred in saving time/Ref. Clause 12-7, Clause 12-8, Clause 12-11 and Clause 12-12
- Clause 17-15. Deductions/Ref. Clause 12-15, Clause 12-16 and Clause 12-18
- Clause 17-16. Collision liability for fishing vessels/Ref. Clause 13-1
- Clause 17-17. Collision liability/Ref. Clause 13-1
- Section 3: Hull insurance - extended cover
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Section 4: Catch and equipment insurance - standard cover
- General
- Clause 17-19. Objects insured
- Clause 17-20. Insurable value
- Clause 17-21. Extraordinary handling costs
- Clause 17-22. Excluded perils/Ref. Clause 2-8
- Clause 17-23. Deck cargo
- Clause 17-24. Total loss
- Clause 17-25. Damage to or loss of catch
- Clause 17-26. Damage to other objects
- Clause 17-27. Survey of damage
- Clause 17-28. Deductible
- Section 5: Supplementary cover for nets and seines in the sea
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Section 6: Loss of hire insurance for fishing vessels
- General comments
- Clause 17-33. Relationship to Chapter 16
- Clause 17-34. Liability of the insurer/applies instead of Clause 16-1
- Clause 17-35. Total loss/applies instead of Clause 16-2
- Clause 17-36. Calculation of compensation for fishing vessels/Ref. Clause 16-3
- Clause 17-37. The daily amount for fishing vessels/applies instead of Clause 16-5
- Clause 17-38. Agreed daily amount for fishing vessels/applies instead of Clause 16-6
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Chapter 18: Insurance of mobile offshore units (MOUs)
- Overview
- Section 1: General rules relating to the scope of the insurance
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Section 2: Hull insurance
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Section 2-1: General rules relating to the scope of the H&M insurance
- Clause 18-2. Objects insured
- Clause 18-3. Objects temporarily removed or separated etc. from the MOU
- Clause 18-4. Loss due to ordinary use
- Clause 18-5. Extension of the insurance
- Clause 18-6. Liability of the insurer if the MOU is salvaged by the assured
- Clause 18-7. Reduction of liability in consequence of an interest insurance
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Section 2-2: Total loss
- Clause 18-8. Total loss
- Clause 18-9. Salvage attempts
- Clause 18-10. Condemnation
- Clause 18-11. Condemnation in the event of a combination of perils
- Clause 18-12. Request for condemnation
- Clause 18-13. Removal of the MOU
- Clause 18-14. Missing or abandoned MOU
- Clause 18-15. Extension of the insurance when the MOU is missing or abandoned
- Clause 18-16. Liability of the insurer during the period of clarification
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Section 2-3: Damage
- General
- Clause 18-17. Main rule concerning liability of the insurer
- Clause 18-18. Compensation for unrepaired damage
- Clause 18-19. Inadequate maintenance
- Clause 18-20. Error in design, etc.
- Clause 18-21. Losses that are not recoverable
- Clause 18-22. Damage to the drill string
- Clause 18-23. Deferred repairs
- Clause 18-24. Temporary repairs
- Clause 18-25. Costs incurred in expediting repairs
- Clause 18-26. Repairs of an MOU that is condemnable
- Clause 18-27. Survey of damage
- Clause 18-28. Invitations to tender
- Clause 18-29. Choice of repairers
- Clause 18-30. Removal for repairs
- Clause 18-31. Apportionment of common expenses
- Clause 18-32. Ice damage deductions
- Clause 18-33. Deductible
- Clause 18-34. Basis for calculation of deductions according to Clauses 18-32, 18-33 and 3-15
- Section 2-4: Liability of the assured arising from collision or striking
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Section 2-1: General rules relating to the scope of the H&M insurance
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Section 3: Separate insurances against total loss
- Clause 18-39. Insurance against total loss and excess collision liability (hull interest insurance)
- Clause 18-40. Insurance against loss of long-term freight income (freight interest insurance)
- Clause 18-41. Common rules for separate insurances against total loss
- Clause 18-42. Limitations on the right to insure separately against total loss
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Section 4: Loss of hire insurance
- Clause 18-43. Main rules regarding the liability of the insurer
- Clause 18-44. Total loss
- Clause 18-45. Main rule for calculating compensation
- Clause 18-46. Calculation of the loss of time
- Clause 18-47. The daily amount
- Clause 18-48. Agreed daily amount
- Clause 18-49. Deductible period
- Clause 18-50. Survey of damage
- Clause 18-51. Choice of repairer
- Clause 18-52. Move to the repair location, etc.
- Clause 18-53. Extra costs incurred in order to avert or minimise loss
- Clause 18-54. Simultaneous works
- Clause 18-55. Loss of time after completion of repairs
- Clause 18-56. Repairs carried out after expiry of the insurance period
- Clause 18-57. Liability of the insurer when the MOU is transferred to a new owner
- Clause 18-58. Relationship to other insurances and general average
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Section 5: War risks insurance
- Section 5-1: General rules relating to the scope of war risks insurance
- Section 5-2: Termination of the insurance
- Section 5-3: Areas of operation
- Section 5-4: Total loss
- Section 5-5: Damage
- Section 5-6: Loss of hire
- Section 5-7: Owner’s liability, etc. (P&I)
- Section 5-8: Occupational injury insurance, etc.
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Section 6: Construction risks insurance
- Section 6-1: General rules relating to the scope of construction risks insurance
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Section 6-2: Loss of or damage to the MOU
- Clause 18-87. Objects insured/Ref Clause 18-2
- Clause 18-88. Insurable value
- Clause 18-89. Compensation in the event of a total loss/Ref. Clause 4-1
- Clause 18-90. Total Loss/Ref. Section 2-2
- Clause 18-91. Damage/Ref. Section 2-3
- Clause 18-92. Error in design, etc.
- Clause 18-93. Costs incurred in order to save time/Ref. Clauses 18-24, 18-28 and 18-29
- Section 6-3: Supplementary covers
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Chapter 19: Builders’ risks insurance
- General
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Section 1: Common provisions
- Clause 19-1. Perils covered/Ref. Clause 2-8, cf. Clause 2-10
- Clause 19-2. Insurance period/Ref. Clause 1-5
- Clause 19-2A. Premium in the event of total loss
- Clause 19-3. Co-insurance/Ref. Clause 8-1
- Clause 19-4. Transfer of the building contract/Ref. Clause 3-21
- Clause 19-5. Place of insurance
- Clause 19-6. The sum insured as the limit of the liability of the insurer/Ref. Clause 4-18 and Clause 4-19
- Clause 19-7. Escalation of the sum insured
- Clause 19-8. Deductible
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Section 2: Loss of or damage to the subject-matter insured
- Clause 19-9. Objects insured/Ref. Clause 10-1
- Clause 19-10. Insurable value
- Clause 19-11. Total loss in the event of condemnation
- Clause 19-12. Total loss where the yard’s obligation to deliver no longer applies
- Clause 19-13. Compensation in the event of a total loss/Ref. Clause 4-1
- Clause 19-14. Damage/Ref. Chapter 12
- Clause 19-15. Limitation of the insurer’s liability/Ref. Clause 12-1
- Clause 19-16. Compensation for unrepaired damage/Ref. Clause 12-2
- Clause 19-17. Costs incurred in order to save time/Ref. Clause 12-7, Clause 12-11 and Clause 12-12
- Section 3: Indemnification of additional costs incurred in an unsuccessful launching and costs of wreck removal
- Section 4: Liability insurance
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Section 5: Supplementary covers
- Clause 19-22. Applicable rules
- Clause 19-23. Insurance of additional costs in connection with rebuilding and/or building of a new subject-matter insured
- Clause 19-24. Insurance of the yard’s liability for the buyer’s interest claim for instalments paid
- Clause 19-25. Insurance of the yard’s loss of interest in the event of late delivery
- Clause 19-26. Insurance of the yard’s daily penalties in the event of late delivery
- Clause 19-27. Towage and removal of the subject-matter insured
- Section 6: Supplementary cover for war risks
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Chapter 20: Insurance for vessels with trading certificates
- General
- Section 1: Common provisions
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Section 2: Hull insurance
- General
- Clause 20-6. The relationship to Chapters 10-13
- Clause 20-7. Hull and freight-interest insurance/Ref. Clause 10-12
- Clause 20-8. Condemnation/Ref. Clause 11-3
- Clause 20-9. Damage to the hull of vessels which are not built of steel/Ref. Clause 12-1
- Clause 20-10. Limited cover of damage to machinery
- Clause 20-11. Costs incurred in saving time/Ref. Clause 12-7, Clause 12-8, Clause 12-11 and Clause 12-12
- Clause 20-12. Deductions/Ref. Clause 12-15, Clause 12-16 and Clause 12-18
- Clause 20-13. Collision liability/Ref. Clause 13-1
- Section 3: Hull insurance - extended cover
- Section 4: Hull insurance - limited cover
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Chapter 21: Liability insurance
- Clause 21-1. Scope of application
- Clause 21-2. Renewal of the insurance/Ref. Clause 1-5
- Clause 21-3. Classification and vessel inspection/Ref. Clause 3-14 and Clause 3-8
- Clause 21-4. Savings to the assured
- Clause 21-5. Perils covered
- Clause 21-6. Liability for personal injury
- Clause 21-7. Liability for property damage
- Clause 21-8. Liability for description
- Clause 21-9. Liability for the misdelivery of goods
- Clause 21-10. General average contributions
- Clause 21-11. Liability for removal of wrecks
- Clause 21-12. Liability for special salvage compensation
- Clause 21-13. Liability for bunker oil pollution damage and damage to the environment
- Clause 21-14. Stowaways
- Clause 21-15. Liability for fines, etc.
- Clause 21-16. Liability for social benefits for the crew
- Clause 21-17. Travel expenses for replacement crew
- Clause 21-18. Expenses for disinfection and quarantine
- Clause 21-19. Limitation due to other insurance, etc.
- Clause 21-20. Safety regulations/Ref. Clause 3-22 and Clause 3-25
- Clause 21-21. Assured's fault
- Clause 21-22. The insurer's rights in the event of liability
- Clause 21-23. Liability for loss that occurred during other transport, etc.
- Clause 21-24. Limitation of liability for fishing vessels
- Clause 21-25. Limitation of the insurer's liability for measures to avert or minimise loss
- Clause 21-26. The sum insured as a limit to the insurer's liability
- Clause 21-27. Deductible
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Chapter 17: Insurance for fishing vessels
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Section 2: Costs of measures to avert or minimise the loss, including salvage awards and general average
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General
The rules relating to costs of measures to avert or minimise loss, including salvage and general average, establish whether the assured is entitled to recover costs he has incurred by initiating measures to avert or minimise loss. It is a fundamental principle in all non-life insurance that costs incurred in order to avert or limit a casualty are recoverable, provided that the measures causing the costs are deemed to be reasonable and sensible. The certainty of obtaining cover will give the assured an additional motive to initiate measures to avert or minimise loss. Furthermore, general considerations of fairness suggest that the insurer should cover such costs since he is the one who will greatly benefit from such measures being taken.
However, the rules relating to the recovery of costs of measures to avert or minimise loss are far more complicated in marine insurance than in other types of insurance. This is due to the fact that in marine insurance these costs are recoverable on the basis of two different sets of rules. The first set of rules is based on general average law, which regulates the relationship between the vessel and its owner on the one hand, and the cargo and its owner on the other, where vessel and cargo are exposed to a common danger or inconvenience. The costs that are incurred and apportioned over vessel, cargo and freight according to the rules of general average are recoverable as costs of measures to avert or minimise loss under the hull insurance, the cargo insurance and the voyage freight insurance, respectively. It is thus first and foremost the underlying general average rules which decide if, and to what extent, the assured shall recover his costs of measures to avert or minimise loss in such situations. At the same time, the general average rules serve to apportion the relevant costs among the insurers involved.
The general average rules provide a complete regulation of most of the questions that arise in connection with measures to avert or minimise loss for a vessel carrying a cargo. They decide both whether the general conditions for carrying out measures to avert or minimise loss are satisfied (whether a sufficient degree of danger exists), and determines what sacrifices and costs are recoverable and how the compensation shall be calculated.
The main source for general average settlements is the York-Antwerp Rules (YAR). The latest rules are from 2016. In international shipping, it is very rare for alternative settlement rules to be agreed, even though alternative clauses do exist. Market agreements may also have been entered into between several insurers’ associations regulating an apportionment, cf. e.g., the SCOPIC Clause incorporated into Lloyd’s Open Form, which is referred to in further detail below under Cl. 4-8 and Cl. 4-12, where certain measures taken to protect against environmental risks fall into the owners’ P&I cover. To the extent that the insurers have acceded to such agreements, these will obviously take precedence over YAR in the event of a conflict of rules.
The other set of rules is the traditional insurance law system, which is inter alia reflected in the relevant Nordic Insurance Contracts Acts. The insurer shall cover the costs incurred by the assured in connection with extraordinary and reasonable measures to avert or minimise loss for the insurer. Normally it will be a question of measures taken to cover one interest insured. This is why the term costs of particular measures to avert or minimise loss is used here. However, it is conceivable that measures are taken aimed at saving several interests insured without the general average rules becoming applicable. It is therefore also necessary in connection with the costs of particular measures to avert or minimise loss to have rules that apportion the costs among several insurers involved.
The two sets of rules stipulate somewhat different requirements as to what constitutes a relevant measure, and each uses a different basis for calculating recoverable costs. The rules relating to general average costs and the rules relating to the particular costs may, on certain points, result in different solutions for actual situations that are fairly similar. This has been resolved by, on the other hand, giving the general average rules a certain extended application when a measure is only aimed at salvaging the vessel. On the other hand, a situation which is in principle regulated under general average law, viz. damage to the vessel as a result of a general average act has been moved over to be covered by the ordinary damage rules, provided that these rules afford better cover for the assured than the general average rules.
The new Plan retains the solutions from the 1964 Plan, based on the traditional system in marine insurance. However, the heading has been changed so that it is clearly evident that the section in reality also comprises salvage awards, even though this is only reflected indirectly in the individual provisions. The sequence and content of the provisions have furthermore been adjusted in order to achieve a certain simplification. In an introductory provision, Cl. 4-7, the general criteria for covering loss arising from measures to avert or minimise loss are established. The scope of the insurer’s liability for general average contributions etc. appears from Cl. 4-8 to 4-11, while the scope of liability for costs of particular measures to avert or minimise loss is placed in a new provision, Cl. 4-12, at the end of the Section.
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Clause 4-7. Compensation of the costs of measures to avert or minimise loss
View Clause Go to Plan pageThe provision states the general criteria for compensation of costs of measures to avert or minimise loss, including salvage awards and general average. The first part of the provision corresponds largely to Cl. 68 of the 1964 Plan as regards the criteria for the costs being recoverable. The decisive criterion is that a “casualty threatens to occur or has occurred”. This is a fundamental condition for compensation of costs of particular measures to avert or minimise loss. Under the rules of general average, this condition corresponds to the “common safety” principle, which states that if the interests involved are exposed to a common risk during the voyage, the costs in connection with averting that risk shall be apportioned among those interests in proportion to the value each of them represents. An example of a common peril is where the vessel takes a heavy list and threatens to go down. Relevant costs may, for example, be a salvage award paid to a salvor or compensation to a cargo owner who suffers a loss because his cargo is jettisoned in order to right the vessel.
However, under the rules of general average, extraordinary costs incurred in a port of refuge for the common benefit of the interests involved with a view to continuing the voyage will also be covered (“the common benefit” principle). The interests are not exposed to any common peril but, under the rules of general average, the costs incurred, e.g. costs of discharging, handling, storing and reloading of cargo while the vessel is being repaired, are nevertheless apportioned. This compensation is not covered by the wording in Cl. 4-7, and the provision is therefore not quite accurate in relation to the general average regulation. It is, however, expedient to confirm in Cl. 4-7 the fundamental requirement that a casualty must have occurred or threaten to occur. Furthermore, through the provision in Cl. 4-8, it emerges with sufficient clarity that if common benefit costs constitute part of the general average contribution, they shall be covered by the insurance.
The last part of the provision corresponds to the wording of Cl. 68 of the 1964 Plan, but is somewhat simplified in accordance with the corresponding wording in the Norwegian Insurance Contracts Act, Section 6-4.
A main problem in applying the rules relating to costs of measures to avert or minimise loss is distinguishing between the measures which are in the nature of measures to avert or minimise a loss for which the insurer is liable, and the measures which the assured must take for his own account as part of the general obligation to safeguard and preserve the object insured. In general average law, the solution is based partly on detailed provisions, partly on established average-adjuster usage. These solutions may often provide a basis for analogous conclusions in relation to the particular measures to avert or minimise loss. The following presentation does not aim to be exhaustive, but merely highlights a number of relevant elements. The presentation is based on the rules relating to particular measures to avert or minimise loss. As regards general average, some of the principles must be adjusted slightly in accordance with the general average rules. Some of these adjustments are referred to in the presentation:
(1) As mentioned, particular measures to avert or minimise a loss are subject to the fundamental condition that a casualty has either occurred or there is imminent danger that a casualty will occur. The first alternative does not give rise to any difficulties. It is very difficult, however, to indicate the degree of danger required in order to entitle the assured to counter the danger at the insurer’s expense. As a rule, an increase in the general maritime risk will not give the assured such a right, unless something else has occurred at the same time which can only be averted through extraordinary measures, cf. under (2) below. In general average law, this principle is reflected in the “common safety” standard, which will, for example, entail that the insurer is not liable for additional consumption of bunkers or other costs incurred by heaving to or putting into a port of refuge during a heavy storm, unless an accident or the like has occurred which may entail a risk of breaching technical or operational safety rules during the further voyage.
(2) In addition to the imminent danger mentioned above under (1), a further requirement is that the assured or a third party has initiated measures of an extraordinary nature. Whether the measures are of such a nature must be decided on a case-to-case basis. On this point, Cl. 68 of the 1964 Plan contained an explicit enumeration of a number of elements, in relation to which the question of the extraordinary nature or foreseeability of the measure was to be evaluated, viz. “the vessel’s voyage, the nature of the cargo and the circumstances prevailing when the voyage was commenced”. These elements were included primarily with a view to P&I insurance. Given the fact that the Plan no longer applies to P&I, there is less need for such an enumeration. This part of the provision has therefore been deleted, but the elements may, of course, still carry weight in the case-by-case evaluation of the type of measures that are deemed to be extraordinary. Losses arising through an ordinary and foreseeable use of the vessel and its equipment do not entail entitlement to compensation under the rules relating to measures to avert or minimise loss, and the same applies to costs the assured had to expect might arise in the course of the voyage. It is hardly possible to give any further guidance; the decision must be made on a case-to-case basis.
In practice, the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary measures has particularly caused problems in connection with what has traditionally been described as “increased ordinary voyage expenses”, cf. the exception for operating expenses referred to in the Commentary on Cl. 4-2, and under item 10 below. These are expenses that must be anticipated from time to time during the voyages of a vessel, e.g. due to problems relating to weather and currents, or minor technical problems regarding the vessel. One example is where the vessel’s stern tube is damaged with the result that oil is leaking out. The voyage may nevertheless be continued by refilling new oil as and when necessary, but the question is whether the expenses of extra oil shall be regarded as “extraordinary”. Practice has been fairly restrictive as regards the compensation of this type of expenses. It has been alleged that practice is too strict, but during the Plan revision it was decided that the best course was still to leave the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary measures to be settled by existing practice.
(3) Only losses which the assured has suffered as a result of an intentional act by the assured or others will be recoverable as costs of measures to avert or minimise loss. For further details, see below under (5). Damage caused by forces of nature or injurious acts by outside third parties without any intentions to avert or minimise loss is only compensated under the general indemnity rules in the insurance conditions. However, at any rate for particular measures to avert or minimise loss, it must be sufficient that the intent comprises the actual action that caused the damage. It is thus not necessary that the person in question realized that the act entailed a risk of damage, nor that the intent comprised all or parts of the loss that occurred, cf. ND 1978.139 NV Stolt Condor and ND 1981.329 NV Lintind.
(4) In order for a loss to be covered by the rules relating to measures to avert or minimise loss, it must have been sustained for the purpose of averting or reducing a loss covered by the insurance. This was earlier expressed by the wording that the measures had to be implemented “in order to avert or minimise losses covered by the insurance”. This wording has been superseded by the words “on account of a peril insured against”, which have been taken from Cl. 70 of the 1964 Plan. It is not necessary that the person causing the loss realizes that he is safeguarding the insurer’s interests. It is sufficient that he acts with the intention of averting the actual loss. The insurer will therefore be liable under the rules relating to measures to avert or minimise loss, even if the loss is caused by a third party who did not know that an insurance had been effected in respect of the object he was attempting to save, or by the assured himself in cases where he did not realize that he was covered against the loss he was attempting to avert. The deciding factor is whether, under the insurance conditions, the insurer would have had to compensate the loss which an attempt was made to avert, and not whatever the assured or any third parties may have imagined in this connection. However, their subjective conceptions may become significant in another way, cf. below under (6).
(5) It is furthermore irrelevant whether it is the assured himself, his own people or an outside third party who have implemented the measures to avert or minimise the loss.
(6) A further requirement is that the measures “must be regarded as reasonable”. The text has been somewhat simplified on this point as well. In the 1964 Plan, the requirement of reasonableness was linked to ”the prevailing circumstances at the time they were implemented”. This simplification is not intended to change any points of substance either. The requirement must be regarded as a sort of safety valve for the insurer and plays a very minor role in practice. It is obvious that the assured must have a wide margin for misjudgements once the casualty is a fact or the risk of a casualty is imminent. In this connection reference is made to Cl. 3-31, where gross negligence on the part of the assured is required in order for the insurer to be entitled to plead that the insured has neglected his duty to avert and minimise the loss.
Whether or not the measures taken were justifiable must be judged in the light of the situation as it appeared to the assured when the peril struck. That the subsequent course of events showed that he was mistaken is therefore in principle irrelevant. It is thus not necessary that there was a de facto situation that warranted the implementation of measures to avert or minimise the loss; the deciding factor is that the assured believed that the situation was that serious. However, it is a prerequisite that the assured has shown due diligence. If he was wrong, his conduct must be judged under the rules in Chapter 3, Section 5, of the Plan relating to casualties caused intentionally or negligently by the assured. If he has, through gross negligence, misjudged the situation, the compensation may be reduced or be forfeited altogether under Cl. 3-33.
Measures to avert or minimise loss will often be implemented by others acting on behalf of the assured, in particular the master and other members of the crew. If they implement measures that must be described as unjustifiable in the situation in question, this will normally constitute faults or negligence committed in connection with their service as seamen, against which the assured is covered under Cl. 3-36. The insurer must normally also accept liability if the misjudgement is attributable to an outsider who intervenes on his own initiative in order to safeguard the assured’s interests.
(7) It is irrelevant that the measures prove to be in vain. In principle, the insurer compensates both the costs of the measures to avert or minimise the loss and the loss which a vain attempt was made at averting. The only limitation is implicit in the requirement that the costs must be reasonable.
(8) The principle that the insurer shall cover both the damage and the costs of measures to avert or minimise loss is, however, subject to certain limitations in terms of amount, cf. Cl. 4-18. In such cases, the insurer’s liability is limited to twice the sum insured apportioned among damage and costs according to the rules in Cl. 4-18. On this point, the Plan differs somewhat from relevant Nordic Insurance Contracts Acts, which contains the principle that the costs of measures to avert or minimise loss shall be recoverable in full, in addition to the whole sum insured for damage sustained. A similar rule applied under Cl. 80 of the 1964 Plan. However, this rule was amended in the Special Conditions, and this solution has been maintained in a somewhat modified form in the new Plan, cf. Cl. 4-18 below for further details.
(9) In earlier case law, a limitation was established to the effect that the loss was not recoverable unless “a real sacrifice” has been made, cf. ND 1918.513 NV Vega and ND 1947.122 Bergen Justi. In the Commentary on the 1964 Plan, this limitation was specified: “the assured cannot claim compensation under the special rules relating to measures to avert or minimise the loss of an object which, at the time it was sacrificed, was exposed to a special peril which would have resulted in its loss regardless of what happened to the ship”. The Plan maintains this solution.
(10) Under the cover of costs of measures to avert or minimise loss, the insurer is liable for all types of loss and not just those for which he would have been liable under the general primary cover rules of the relevant insurance. The idea is that the assured shall be indemnified for any loss that he suffers due to the said measures. The insurer is therefore liable for damage to or loss of the object insured, or other objects belonging to the assured, for costs incurred and for liability incurred vis-à-vis a third party. However, a limitation follows from Cl. 4-12, cf. Cl. 4-2: the insurer is not liable for a general financial loss nor for loss of time, loss due to unfavourable trade conditions, loss of markets and similar losses resulting from a delay.
It follows from the principle that the insurer covers all losses in connection with measures to avert or minimise loss that the loss is also covered without deductible, cf. Cl. 12-18, sub-clause 3. This also applies to the cover of general average contributions. The general average rules contain special rules, however, relating to new for old deductions, which indirectly involve a certain limitation of the cover of costs of measures to avert or minimise loss.
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Clause 4-8. General average
View Clause Go to Plan pageThe second sentence of sub-clause 1 was editorially amended in the 2013 Plan to avoid any possible misunderstandings. The Commentary was further amended in the 2019 Version.
As mentioned in the introduction to this Section, the insurer will very often be liable for losses incurred in connection with measures to avert or minimise loss in the sense that he covers the general average contribution imposed on the assured, cf. sub-clause 1, first sentence. As with the particular measures to avert or minimise loss, it is a condition that the general average act is carried out with respect to a peril which is covered by the insurance. If the measure is taken in order to avert war perils, the war-risk insurer will thus be liable for the contribution. However, it is not necessary to verify whether the insurer would have been liable for each and every loss that the (preventive) measures were meant to avert and which are recoverable in general average. Thus, the hull insurer is also liable for the contribution the assured is called on to pay to cover the “common benefit” expenses, despite the fact that they are not aimed at averting any loss which is covered by the hull insurance. Thus, once a general average adjustment has been made, it is regarded as an entity in relation to the insurer. In the event of a pure T.L.O. insurance under Cl. 10-5, however, a verification must be made as to whether there was any risk of a total loss when the general average act was carried out, and the contribution shall only be recoverable in so far as it covers losses in connection with measures to avert a total loss.
The first sentence makes the insurer liable for general average contributions which are apportioned on the insured interest, which is normally the insured vessel. If so, it is the hull insurer which is liable for the general average contributions apportioned on the insured vessel. The hull insurer will under the second sentence also be liable for general average contributions which are apportioned on an otherwise uninsured interest – freight or charterparty hire - provided that the assured is the owner of the said interest. The extension will in practice hardly be of any great economic importance. Normally, the freight will be for the cargo owner’s risk and thereby be included in the value of the cargo due to the fact that through clauses such as ”freight non-returnable, vessel and/or cargo lost or not lost” it has been prepaid with final effect.
The contribution is recoverable on the basis of a lawful average adjustment, cf. sub-clause 1, third sentence. In the event of minor casualties the insurer will often agree to an informal general average adjustment, which is not drawn up by an average adjuster. The general average adjustment must be drawn up in accordance with current rules of law, or conditions considered customary in the trade concerned. Normal procedure would be for the general average adjustment to be drawn up on the basis of the York-Antwerp Rules, but in principle there is nothing to prevent the application of other conditions which are considered customary in the trade in question.
The contribution is recoverable regardless of what items of loss are included in the general average adjustment, as long as the adjustment as such is correct. The Plan does not make exceptions for compensation of general average expenses. However, a more detailed regulation of the insurer’s liability may follow from market agree¬ments, if the Nordic market has explicitly supported these, cf. e.g. the SCOPIC Clause linked to Lloyds Open Form which is mentioned above in the introduction to this Section. The SCOPIC Clause will regulate the apportionment of the salvage remuneration in connection with an environmental salvage operation according to Articles 13 and 14 of the Salvage Convention of 1989, with the SCOPIC tariff remuneration replacing the method of assessing Special Compensation under Convention Article 14(1) to 14(4) inclusive. The SCOPIC Clause provides that SCOPIC remuneration shall not be a general average expense to the extent that it exceeds the Article 13 Award; any liability to pay such SCOPIC remuneration shall be that of the shipowner alone and no claim whether direct, indirect, by way of indemnity or recourse or otherwise relating to SCOPIC remuneration in excess of the Article 13 Award shall be made in general average or under the vessel’s hull and machinery policy by the owners of the vessel.
The contribution is recoverable according to the general average adjustment, even if the contributory value exceeds the insurable value of the interest, cf. sub-clause 1, fourth sentence.
The first sub-clause, fifth sentence, was added in 2010 as a result of amendments introduced in YAR 2004, rule VI, to the effect that salvage awards (including interest and costs of legal assistance in that connection) hereafter will not be recoverable in general average. The same rule is also found in YAR 2016. These costs were previously recoverable in general average. The salvage award was thus “re-distributed” on the basis of the contribution values determined under YAR, which could differ from the salvaged values that were determined when fixing the salvage award. If YAR 2004 or 2016 is to serve as the basis for the general average adjustment, however, it is natural that the insurer is also liable for the salvage award apportioned on the insured interest and any salvage award apportioned on freight or charterparty hire for which the assured bears the risk, in the same way as for cover of general average contributions.
In practice, the question concerning the assured’s interest claim in connection with general average adjustments has caused problems. Under YAR 1994 and subsequent versions, rule XXI, interest on disbursements, etc. is now recoverable up to three months after the date of the average adjustment. If the due date for the claim under the insurance, cf. Cl. 5-6, is fixed after that point in time, the assured must be entitled to interest under the general rules of the Plan, cf. Cl. 5-4. If, on the other hand, the due date for the claim under the insurance is set at a date prior to three months after the date of the average adjustment, the situation is different. In that case it is natural that the insurer does not have to pay interest recovered in general average after the due date prescribed in accordance with Cl. 5-6. This is now provided in the first sub-clause, sixth sentence.
Under sub-clause 2, the insurer is liable for the contributions which according to the rules of general average fall on the interest insured, even if the assured is precluded from claiming contributions from the other participants in the general average adjustment. The rule is concordant with the solution in the 1964 Plan, and is relevant if the assured (normally the shipowner) is liable to the other interested parties for the event that has made the general average act necessary, cf. in this respect ND 1993.162 NH Faste Jarl. In that event, the assured cannot claim contributions from those parties. This applies e.g. if the vessel must be considered unseaworthy in relation to the cargo, or if the vessel has deviated from the route it was bound to follow according to the contract of affreightment. However, the gravity of the assured’s conduct will rarely be such as to result in his forfeiting his right to compensation from the insurer under the insurance conditions as well. This will only be the case if the unseaworthiness was of such a nature as to also constitute a breach of safety regulations in relation to Cl. 3-22, or the deviation has taken the vessel outside the trading areas, cf. Cl. 3-15, sub-clause 3. Where the assured has maintained his rights vis-à-vis the insurer, the traditional solution is to impose on the insurer liability for the losses that must be deemed to have been incurred in order to save the interest insured. The loss suffered by the assured due to the fact that his right to claim general average contribution from the cargo is forfeited will be covered by the P&I insurer.
An outcome such as this is less logical, however, if measures to avert or minimise loss have resulted in damage to or loss of the actual object insured. The consequence would then be that the assured would only obtain partial compensation under the hull insurance for damage incurred through measures to avert or minimise loss because he had breached a contract of affreightment. Liability for the excess loss would then have to be transferred to the P&I insurance. As long as the assured has not disregarded the insurance contract in such a manner that his cover is reduced or forfeited, the hull insurer should provide full cover for the damage which the vessel sustains, regardless of whether the damage is due to measures to avert or minimise loss or has arisen by way of an accident. Cl. 4-10 of the Plan, which gives the insured an unconditional right to claim compensation for damage to or loss of the object insured under the rules relating to particular loss will therefore prevail over Cl. 4-8 and entitle the assured to full compensation. The limitation rule in sub-clause 2 will first and foremost be of significance for salvage, port of refuge expenses and “common benefit” costs.
When a salvage award has been incurred for a vessel carrying a cargo, this amount will sometimes be apportioned twice, first during the salvage award case and subsequently in connection with the general average adjustment. These apportionments may differ from each other because the contribution value may differ from the value of vessel and cargo on which the salvage-award case was based. The same applies if one or more of the interested parties have negotiated separately with the salvors, and thereby achieved a better apportionment under the salvage award settlement than under the average adjustment. In the final settlement between vessel and cargo, the subsequent general average apportionment will normally be decisive, and it is also that apportionment which shall form the basis of the hull settlement. Nor has any rule been issued stipulating a duty for the insurer to pay the proportion of the salvage award that the shipowner may be ordered to pay in the salvage award case. Still the assured’s general right to demand a payment on account pursuant to Cl. 5-7 will apply.
Where the insurer is liable to the assured for a loss that is also covered by the contribution from the other interested parties, he will be subrogated to the contribution claim to a corresponding extent, cf. Cl. 5-13. Whether or not any contribution claim exists will often depend on whether the owner of the cargo has accepted personal liability when the goods were delivered to him (signed an average bond). If the assured has not obtained an average bond and can be blamed for this, the insurer may invoke Cl. 5-16 concerning the assured’s duty to maintain and safeguard the claim.
In a number of situations it is obvious that carrying out a general average adjustment would be uneconomical. If the assured has in that event failed to claim contributions from the other interested parties, the hull insurer has in practice compensated the losses that would have been recoverable in the general average adjustment. This practice will be carried on; it is to the advantage of the assured as well the insurer.
However, the insurance contract has often been taken one step further and what is known as a “general average absorption clause” has been included in the contract. This entails that the hull insurer is liable for losses which would have been recoverable in general average up to an agreed maximum amount in all cases where the assured chooses not to claim contributions from the other interested parties. This is a clear simplification seen from the assured’s point of view, and an explicit clause to that effect has now been included in sub-clause 3, see sub-clause (a). This means that the principle will apply regardless of whether an individual agreement has been entered into concerning this question. However, the application of the rule is subject to the condition that the insurance contract contains a maximum amount for such settlement.
Normally the losses which the insurer shall cover under sub-clause 3 (a) will have been incurred by the assured himself as sacrifices or expenses resulting from the general average act. If, in exceptional cases, the cargo owner has incurred a loss for which he may claim compensation in general average, e.g. where cargo has been sacrificed in order to salvage a grounded vessel, the insurer will, however, in principle also be liable for such a loss. The point is that another solution would involve a risk that the cargo owner might demand an ordinary general average adjustment in order to recover parts of his loss. The condition for the insurer being liable for the cargo owner’s loss is nevertheless that the assured is able to prove that he has in actual fact had to cover it, e.g. as a result of a clause in the contract of affreightment, in other words that it arises as a liability for the assured.
As an alternative to cover under the “general average absorption” clause in sub-clause (a), sub-clause (b) instead entitles the assured to claim compensation for the vessel’s general average contribution, as this appears in a simplified general average adjustment. In that event, the assured will recover the general average contribution that would have been apportioned on the vessel, but without any contribution being claimed by the cargo owner. However, the assured must choose between a settlement based on the rules in sub-clause (a) or in sub-clause (b). He cannot combine the solutions, e.g. by first claiming compensation within the agreed sum under sub-clause (a) for losses incurred, and subsequently the vessel’s general average contribution under sub-clause (b). However, he will always be entitled to claim compensation for damage to or loss of the object insured under the rules in Cl. 4-10 if he finds that this gives him more favourable cover.
When deciding whether and to what extent loss, expenses etc. are recoverable under sub-clause 3, it follows from sub-clause 3, second sentence, that the provisions in the York-Antwerp Rules 2016 shall be used as a basis, regardless of what rules the contract of affreightment might contain relating to general average. Cover under YAR does not, however, apply to interest and commission, the costs of which will have to be recovered under Cl. 4-3 and Cl. 5-4 of the Plan, cf. the reference to Cl. 4-11, sub-clause 2, second sentence. This must otherwise mean that interest and commission, which in such case are to be apportioned under the rules of the Plan and not YAR, are recoverable in addition to the maximum amount stipulated in the insurance contract for sub-clause 3 (a). It is also considered to be most natural that fees for issuing the claim adjustment and the insurer’s handling of the matter are recoverable in addition to this maximum amount.
Clause 4-8. General average
The insurer is liable for any general average contribution apportioned on the interest insured. The hull insurer is also liable for general average contributions apportioned on freight or charterparty hire, provided that the assured is also the owner of this interest. The contribution is...
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Clause 4-9. General average apportionment where the interests belong to the same person
View Clause Go to Plan pageThe provision is necessary in order to implement the apportionment among the insurers with whom the assured has taken out his insurances. For the uninsured interests, the assured must bear his own proportionate share.
Clause 4-9. General average apportionment where the interests belong to the same person
If vessel , freight and cargo belong to the same person, but the conditions for a general average apportionment are otherwise met, the insurer is liable as if the contributing interests had belonged to different persons.
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Clause 4-10. Damage to and loss of the object insured
View Clause Go to Plan pageThis Clause was amended in the 2019 Version.
The provision gives the assured a right to claim compensation for general average damage to the vessel under the rules relating to particular average. The rationale is that the assured shall always have the right to claim under the insurance contract in respect of any physical damage to the vessel, including sacrificial damage, and settle this concurrently with the particular average damage, thus not having to wait for a general average adjustment which often may take a long time to finalize.
Where the insurer indemnifies hull damage according to the rules relating to particular average, he is subrogated to the assured’s claim against the other participants in the general average. Therefore, even if sacrificial damage has been claimed under the rules relating to particular average pursuant to this Clause, there is still a duty to secure the claim against the other parties to the general average, ref. Chapter 5, Section 3, and particularly Cl. 5-16. In other words, the assured should consider to declare general average in order to recover other parties’ contribution of sacrificial damage, otherwise he may become liable for the loss to the insurer if he fails to declare general average, see particularly the duty of the assured to maintain and safeguard a claim against third parties as per Cl. 5-16. The insurer will not, however, be subrogated to the assured’s claim against the P&I insurer for the hull damage if the contributions are irrecoverable, irrespective of whether the loss of or damage to the object insured is recoverable under the rules relating to general average or under the rules relating to particular damage. Finally, it should be noted that even if sacrificial damage is claimed pursuant to the rules relating to particular average, any deductible agreed under Cl. 12-18 is not applicable to such damage, cf. Cl. 12-18, sub-clause 3. However, any other deduction agreed in the policy will be applicable in the ordinary manner.
Clause 4-10. Damage to and loss of the object insured
If the object insured has been damaged or lost as a result of a general average act, the assured has the right to claim compensation for such damage or loss in accordance with the rules relating to particular average, without first enforcing their right of contribution from other parties.
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Clause 4-11. Assumed general average
View Clause Go to Plan pageAs mentioned in the introduction to this Section, the general average rules shall also apply when measures have been taken to save a vessel in ballast (“assumed general average”), cf. sub-clause 1. The rules also apply to losses incurred in order to complete the ballast voyage even though the costs were not incurred to save the vessel, e.g. expenses accruing during the ballast voyage where the vessel has to put into port for the purpose of carrying out repairs necessary for the safe completion of the voyage. The general average rules become decisive both for the question whether the degree of the peril was sufficient for the assured’s sacrifices to be recoverable, and for the question as to what sacrifices are recoverable.
The same rules shall be applied for the purposes of calculation of the compensation as if the vessel had carried a cargo. Thus, with respect to hull damage, the assured shall receive settlement in accordance with the rules that altogether give the most favourable result for him, whereas the settlement in respect of other losses shall be in accordance with the general average rules.
By applying the general average rules to measures to avert or minimise loss for vessels in ballast, the cover will be the same regardless of whether the vessel is carrying a small cargo or is completely empty. In practice, however, this principle is not carried into full effect. Under sub-clause 2, there are certain limitations to the assured’s right to claim wages and maintenance for vessels in ballast under the general average rules. Under the general average rules, the shipowner shall receive compensation for part of the loss of time during the final repairs of the damage, cf. YAR 2016 Rule XI. The shipowner is not entitled to this advantage when permanent repairs of damage the vessel has sustained while in ballast are carried out, cf. sub-clause 2, first sentence. On this point the 1964 Plan contained an addition to the effect that the limitation also applied to “expenses in substitution of such outlays”. This part of the provision had been incorporated in order to eliminate an earlier unfortunate practice that has now ceased, and it has therefore been deleted. According to established practice, the limitation does not comprise any waiting time before repairs are commenced, but does include waiting time that arises during the repairs because necessary parts are missing. The special rules relating to commission and interest applicable in general average have been set aside as well, cf. sub-clause 2, second sentence, of this Clause.
Clause 4-11. Assumed general average
The insurer is liable for loss incurred for the purpose of saving a vessel in ballast or completing a voyage in ballast, provided that it would have been liable for the vessel 's proportion of such costs in accordance with a general average adjustment under the 2016 York-Antwerp Rules. Cl. 4-10...
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Clause 4-12. Costs of particular measures taken to avert or minimise loss
View Clause Go to Plan pageThe Commentary was amended in the 2019 Version.
As mentioned in the Commentary on Cl. 4-7, during the Plan revision, the view was that it was expedient to state the criteria for the insurer’s liability for costs of particular measures to avert or minimise loss in a separate provision. The provision in Cl. 4-12, sub-clause 1, corresponds to those parts of Cl. 68 of the 1964 Plan which deal with the scope of the insurer’s liability, but the wording in the Plan has been partly replaced by the corresponding wording in the Norwegian ICA Section 6-4. Reference is otherwise made to the Commentary on Cl. 4-7 as regards the principles for compensation of costs of particular measures taken to avert or minimise loss.
A question that arises in the relationship between Cl. 4-12 concerning particular measures to avert or minimise loss and Cl. 4-8 concerning general average is whether the entire settlement is to be effected in accordance with the general average rules in the event of a general average, or whether there is room for elements being settled under Cl. 4-12. In ND 1979.139 NV Stolt Condor the arbitration tribunal reached the conclusion that the same measure could be regarded both as a general average measure and a measure with a view to saving other considerable interests insured. However, the solution does not appear to have been followed up by the industry. The main rule should be that once there is a general average situation, the entire settlement shall be effected according to the general average rules. Exceptions should only be made where there is either an explicit different regulation in the separate insurance conditions, e.g. based on a market agreement among the relevant insurers, or where the other interests insured have the predominant interest in the relevant measure taken to avert or minimise loss. An example of a relevant market agreement is the “SCOPIC Clause” linked to Lloyds’ Open Form, which regulates the apportionment of the remuneration in connection with an environmental salvage operation according to Articles 13 and 14 of the Salvage Convention of 1989. If measures to avert or minimise loss that would have been covered by another insurer have struck interests that are covered under the insurance, the insurer will be subrogated to the assured’s claim against the other insurer. In that event, Cl. 5-13 of the Plan will become similarly applicable. In other words, the loss shall end up with the insurer who is liable for the costs to avert or minimise loss. This solution was earlier established in the Special Conditions, cf. Cefor I.4, and PIC Cl. 5.10, and is now explicitly stated in Cl. 2-7, sub-clause 3.
Sub-clause 2 regulates the situation where a measure to avert or minimise loss is aimed at saving several interests without the general average rules becoming applicable. In that event, there shall be a proportional apportionment of the loss among all of those who have benefited from the measures in accordance with the principle on which the general average is based. The provision corresponds to Cl. 69 of the 1964 Plan, but has been moved, cf. the Commentary on Cl. 4-7. The relevant Nordic Insurance Contracts Acts contain no corresponding rule, but the principle of apportionment is regarded as a general principle in insurance law.
However, the apportionment of the loss under this sub-clause is not entirely consistent. In the first place, it is established practice that the separate insurances against total loss (hull and freight interests) are not brought into such an apportionment settlement, cf. the Commentary on Cl. 5-13. Secondly, the principle is subject to certain limitations if a measure is aimed at saving the vessel, and if the assured in the event of a loss of the vessel would also have suffered a loss that was not covered under any insurance. In that case, the insurer will in principle be liable for the entire loss resulting from the measure. Thus, the fact that the vessel is valued at a lower amount than the market value (cf. above under Cl. 4-8) is not taken into account, nor will the assured have to bear the portion of the loss which in an apportionment would have fallen on his uninsured income interest. If a liability covered by the insurance has been averted, the fact that a deductible has been agreed which would have resulted in the assured having had to cover part of the liability himself shall not be taken into account, either. However, on one point an exception has been made in practice and the rule of apportionment applied, viz. where the vessel’s accessories are lost and later saved. The Plan does not aim at making any change to the principles on which this practice is based.
In loss-of-hire insurance, however, the principle of apportionment shall be applied in full, in relation to uninsured interests as well, cf. Cl. 16-11.
Special problems arise in connection with measures to avert or minimise loss which aim at averting partly liability which the P&I insurer would have had to cover, and partly liability or damage which the hull insurer or another insurer would have had to cover. The most common example in practice is the aversion of collision liability. Such liability will, according to the rules in Chapter 13 of the Plan, be covered by the hull insurer to the extent that it falls within the sum insured, and does not concern personal injury, loss of life or other types of loss which are specifically excluded in Cl. 13-1. Liability which the hull insurer (or the hull-interest insurer, cf. 14-1) does not cover, will be covered by the P&I insurer. Liability for injuries/loss of life is the most important. When measures are taken to avert a collision, it will often be possible to establish with a high degree of certainty that liability has been averted for the hull insurer as well as for the P&I insurer, but it will normally be very difficult to establish how large a proportion of the liability each of the insurers would have had to cover. It is not possible to give any simple guidelines for this apportionment; it must be resolved on the basis of the estimated extent of “the interests threatened”.
Clause 4-12. Costs of particular measures taken to avert or minimise loss
If measures to avert or minimise loss under Cl. 4-7 have been taken without the rules in Cl. 4-8 to 4-11 being applicable, the insurer is liable for loss of or damage to the assured's property, and for liability and costs incurred by the assured. Loss referred to in Cl. 4-2 is nevertheless not...
Clause 4-7. Compensation of the costs of measures to avert or minimise loss
If a casualty threatens to occur or has occurred, the insurer is liable in accordance with the rules in Cl. 4-8 to Cl. 4-12 for the costs of measures taken on account of a peril insured against, provided that the measures were of an extraordinary nature and must be regarded as reasonable.