Collision and Contact with FFO

Liability

Where a collision happens which is 100% the fault of one vessel, that vessel shall bear its own losses and compensate the other for its losses as a result of the collision. However, because of the  very nature. collisions almost always involve a degree of liability by each party involved. Generally  therefore that the total damage is calculated and the % liability of each vessel for causing the collision is calculated and each vessel's owners pay their fair percentage of the total damage. 

Time Limit for Claims

Collision claims are, in most jurisdictions, subject to a two-year time limit, which runs from the date on which the collision occurs. This limitation comes from the 1910 Collision Convention, which most countries have ratified.

FFO Claims

When a ship makes contact with property other than another vessel (shore cranes, bridges etc.) and causes damage to it, this is not considered a 'collision'. Technically it is an 'allision' (two moving objects collide with each other, whereas one moving object allides with a fixed object). This term is less common today and these claims are more frequently known as FFO claims, which stands for 'Fixed and Floating Object' claims. Hitting a quay would be an example of damage to a fixed object and cracking a navigational buoy would be an example of damage to a floating object). At CJA our competent surveyors have the expertise to assess damage and claims and submit accurate reports pertaining to collision claim and FFO claims.