Nature of the Case
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Facts
P a longshoreman unloading the S. S. Hastings at Ponce, slipped on some loose beans spilled on the dock and suffered personal injuries. P filed a libel against D, claiming damages for injuries caused by the ship's unseaworthiness and by the negligence of D. The case was tried in admiralty and the court found the following facts. The cargo of beans was packed in broken and defective bags, some of which were being repaired by coopers aboard the ship during unloading. Beans spilled out of the bags during unloading, including some from one bag that broke open during unloading, and the scattering of beans about the surface of the pier created a dangerous condition for the longshoremen who had to work there. D knew or should have known that injury was likely to result to persons who would have to work around the beans spilled from the defective bags, and it was negligent in allowing cargo so poorly stowed or laden to be unloaded. P fell on the beans and injured himself, and such injuries were proximately caused by D's negligence and the unseaworthiness of its cargo or cargo containers. The court found that P's delay in filing the suit was excusable and that no prejudice to D was occasioned by the delay, since it had access at all times to its and the stevedore's records which contained the relevant facts and since all the potential witnesses were available and produced at trial. the trial court entered a money judgment of $18,000 for P. D appealed. It held that D had not been negligent, as a matter of law, because it 'had neither control of nor even a right to control' the pier. As for seaworthiness, the court held that the shipowner was not responsible for the lading, or cargo containers, stating: 'The very fact that unseaworthiness obligations are 'awesome' . . . suggests that they should not be handled with prodigality. We are unwilling to recognize one here.' P appealed.
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