Die Dritthaftung von Klassifikationsgesellschaften

Classification societies establish and apply technical standards in relation to the design, construction and supervision of ships. Their principal contracting partners are ship builders and ship owners. Increasingly, classification societies are being faced with damage claims initiated by members of the shipping industry with whom they have not established a contractual relationship. Under German law but in a comparative perspective, Jürgen Basedow and Wolfgang Wurmnest examine such third party claims. They focus in particular on how such claims are affected by limitation of liability clauses agreed upon between the classification society and its contracting partners.