If you are on a ship and you get hurt because of the fault of two or more ships, the owners of those ships are responsible. You can claim damages from any or all of the ship owners. The ship owners are jointly and separately liable, which means you can sue one, some, or all of them.

If someone sues you because you were at fault, you can still use any defence you would have had if this law did not exist. You can also limit how much you have to pay, as allowed by law. This law does not take away any of your existing rights.

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This page was last updated on 25 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM336224.

94: Division of loss, or

"Sharing the cost of damage when multiple ships are involved in an accident"

96: Right of contribution, or

"When ships share blame, owners can ask each other to help pay damages."

Part 8Liability where 2 or more ships involved

95Damages for personal injury

Subject to subsection (2), where, by the fault of 2 or more ships, any person on board one of the ships is killed or injured, the liability of the owners of the ships shall be joint and several.
Nothing in subsection (1) shall—
deprive any person of any right of defence on which, had this section not been enacted, that person might have relied in an action brought against that person by the injured person or by any person entitled to sue in respect of the death of any person on board; or
affect the right of any person to limit that person’s liability in the manner provided by law.

Compare

1952 No 49 s 470
1987 No 184 s 23