Reino de Espana v The American Bureau of Shipping and Ors – US District Court (SDNY)(Laura Taylor Swain DJ) – 3 August 2010

Tort – Duty of care – Oil tanker sinking off coast of Spain causing extensive damage to Spanish interests – Kingdom of Spain bringing proceedings against vessel’s American classification society – Whether Spanish or US law governed claim – Whether classification society owed duty of care to Kingdom of Spain

On 19 November 2002 the oil tanker Prestige, registered in the Bahamas, sank off the coast of Spain. The Prestige discharged millions of gallons of oil into Spanish territorial waters before sinking 140 miles from the Spanish coast, causing devastating environmental and economic effects.