Transport
Case studies
Collapse of ship loader at export terminal
Following the collapse and total destruction of a ship loader at one of South Africa's major export terminals, directly affecting the county's iron ore exports, the client involved us from the outset to oversee and advise on the technical investigation in relation to the cause of the collapse, the drafting of statements from witnesses and other role players, legal advice in relation to contractual and delictual liability, demurrage and mitigation of loss. In the result a statement of claim was finalised within months, placing the client in a position to enter settlement discussions with affected parties to recover its losses prior to the issue of formal proceedings.
Aircraft damaged during towing accident
We represented the owners of an aircraft that was damaged during a towing accident at O R Tambo International Airport. The agreement between the owners and the towing contractor provided that, in order to succeed in recovering the full extent of the owners’ loss, we were required to prove not only that the driver of the vehicle that caused the damage was negligent, but that he carried out the towing operation “recklessly and with the knowledge that damage would probably occur”. We successfully discharged this onus, resulting in a full recovery of damages by the owners.
