Liability, awards and settlements

5.3, damages

UK: the owner of the very large crude oil tanker Front Ace (144652 gt, built 1993) won a Court of Appeal battle to increase the amount of damages it is to receive from the owner of crude oil tanker Vicky I (50764 gt, built 1981) following a collision off the coast of Indonesia. Master of the Rolls Sir Anthony Clarke ruled that, on top of the $1,987,347 figure an Admiralty registrar ordered Vicky I ’s owner to pay, the owner of Front Ace should receive a further $472,099. At the same time, he rejected appeals by Vicky I ’s owner aimed at reducing the damages award. He said that the case centred on the collision on December 12, 2002, in which Vicky I collided with Front Ace off Balikpapan, Indonesia, while it was manoeuvring alongside Front Ace in a ship-to-ship discharge operation. The bow of Vicky I struck the starboard side of Front Ace , causing significant damage. The tanker owner admitted liability for the collision.