18/02/2004

CIVIL COURT, FIRST HALL

MALLIA TONIO

THOMAS SMITH INSURANCE AGENCY LTD vs MD TRUCKING LTD

N/A

FINAL JUDGEMENT

THOMAS SMITH INSURANCE AGENCY LTD vs MD TRUCKING LTD - 1093/2001/1 - CIVILI, PRIM AWLA, MALTA

CMR CONVENTION, ESKLUZJONI TA` RESPONSABILITA` MINHABBA KAZ FORTUWITU JEW FORZA MAGGURI - CMR CONVENTION, RESPONSABILITA` TAT-TRASPORTATUR - DANNI, LIMITAZZJONI PERMEZZ TA` KLAWSOLI KONTRATTWALI

L-artikolu 3 tar-regolamenti tas-CMR jiddisponi li "for the purposes of this convention the carriershall be responsible for the acts and omissions of his agents as servants and of any other personsof whose services be made use of for the performance of the carriage, when such agents, servants orother persons are acting within the scope of their employment, as if such acts and omissions were his own".

Il-bazi tar-responsabilta' tat-trasportatur tinsab fl-artikolu 17(1) tar-regolamentita' CMR li jghid:

"The carrier shall be liable for the total loss of the goods and for damage thereto occurring between the time when he takes over the goods and the time of delivery".

Il-bazi ta' responsabbilta' enuncjata fis-CMR mhix eskluza billi dak li ikun agixxa diligentament,izda hemm oneru akbar mixhut fuq it-trasportatur, li jrid jiehu l-mezzi kollha biex jevita kull hsara jew serq.

Mhux bizzejjed li c-cirkostanzi kienu straordinarji imma li jridu jkunu tant straordinarji li jirrenduha impossibbli lill-carrier li jimpediha anke bl-akbar diligenza. L-essenza tad-difiza hija l-imprevedibilita' u l-inevitabilita.

Veru li l-Qrati taghna gieli illimitaw l-effetti ta' klawsola ta' ezoneru, izda mhux ta' klawsola ta' limitazzjoni ta' danni. Id-dottrina in materja turi li mhux il-klawsoli kollha ta' ezoneru huma leciti, u ma jistghu qatt ikunu leciti sal-punt li bihom ikun hemm dak li jissejjah "assicurazione delle colpe proprie".

Min-naha l-ohra,m'hemm xejn hazin illi l-partijiet jiftiehmu, minn qabel, x'ghandhom ikunu d-danni f'kaz ta' xi nuqqas, u, fil-fatt, kemm il-darba f'kuntratti ta' certa importanza issib klawsola li tillikwida minn qabel id-danni f'kaz ta' dewmien jew ksur tal-kuntratt, u dawn jigu onorati mill-Qrati. Hafna drabi din tiehu l-forma ta' penali, li meta tkun hekk kontrattata tirraprezenta kumpens ghad-danni minhabbanon-ezekuzzjoni ta' l-obbligazzjoni. L-artikolu 1138 tal-Kodici Civili, fil-fatt, espressament jippermetti ftehim simili, meta jghid, "Meta l-ftehim jistabbilixxi illi l-parti li tonqos mill-esekuzzjoni tieghu ghandha thallas somma determinata bhala danni, ma tistax tigi moghtija lill-parti l-ohrasomma akbar jew izghar". Il-klawsola u kwistjoni hija parti mill-konvenzjoni li giet inkorporata bhala parti mill-ftehim. Il-kondizzjonijiet hemm inkorporati huma ben maghrufa man-nies midhla fit-trasport u, kwindi, japplikaw bhal kull parti ohra ta' l-istess ftehim.