not be particularly experienced in marine casualty response, and more often than not they welcome early and informed liaison with P&I insurers. This is an approach encouraged by the International Group of P&I Clubs.
Joint appointments of specialist advisors, including lawyers, surveyors and consultants will often deliver significant benefits. Shared advice will be better, quicker and cheaper and, with goodwill and clear analysis, any conflict of interest can be identified and managed. There is a developing trend for owners to identify their principal advisors in their Safety Management Systems, ideally these preferences will be discussed with property and liability insurers so that when a casualty occurs, there will be maximum sharing and minimum duplication. P&I insurers, with our global network of offices and correspondents are well placed to advise on appropriate appointments in any location and at any time.
There are many other areas in which P&I insurers add significant value to casualty management but the last one that I will discuss here is the environment. In some jurisdictions, notably the U.S. and Australia, there are comprehensive plans to address environmental damage and these will be implemented automatically and without much input from the owner. However, in the majority of cases the coastal state will have much less well-developed environmental response plans and in these cases P&I insurers can add significant value. The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is a not-for-profit environmental consultancy specializing in marine pollution. It is headquartered in London and 90 percent funded by P&I insurers. This arrangement gives all members of International Group Clubs automatic access to the full range of ITOPF’s technical and information services, usually at no cost.
40 | The Report • December 2017 • Issue 82
ITOPF maintain comprehensive databases of pollutants, ports and coastlines. For any incident, however small, they are able to advise on risks and response techniques. In larger cases they will attend on-site and offer their specialist advice freely to anyone who will listen; very often they will quickly be incorporated into the coastal state’s emergency response team. ITOPF do not conduct clean-up operations themselves but their advice and leadership can be critical in ensuring that appropriate response measures are put in place. ITOPF’s input is also important when assessing the reasonable cost of clean-up and restitution. Access to ITOPF’s unparalleled knowledge and experience is a material contribution that P&I insurers alone can provide.
Claims
Once the casualty has been stabilized and the immediate risks to life, property and the environment have been addressed, casualty management generally moves to address the claims arising. Many of these are large, complicated and can take a surprisingly long time to resolve. Constant attention to detail is necessary and, as always, close liaison between all interested parties will deliver significant benefit. Principal claims involving P&I insurers include:
Crew: Beside the liabilities attaching to death and personal injury, which should always have priority, crew claims may include
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