Compagnie Maritime Belge (Lloyd Royal) S.A. v. United Terminals, Inc.
The plaintiff, a vessel owner, sought indemnity from the defendant stevedoring company for funds paid to settle personal injury claims of two longshoremen injured on shore while unloading a container. The defendant moved to dismiss the complaint, asserting a lack of subject matter jurisdiction, arguing that admiralty and maritime jurisdiction does not cover shore-side accidents. The court denied the motion, clarifying that this action was for indemnity, grounded in a breach of the warranty of workmanlike service implicit in a maritime stevedoring contract. Therefore, the court concluded that the suit fell within its admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, citing established precedents. Additionally, the court noted that the action, though filed in 1977, was not barred by the 1972 amendments to the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act because the injuries occurred prior to the amendments' effective date.