Cargo claims are the most frequent form of third-party liability incurred by carriers by sea and their P&I insurers. They are the bread-and-butter work of ship operators and P&I clubs, with each club handling thousands of cargo claims every year. This new book examines every aspect of cargo claims from a legal and practical perspective and complements other legal textbooks which specialise in bills of lading or charterparties.

Following the life of a typical cargo claim, the book analyses the basis upon which carriers face liability for cargo loss and damage; the law on delay and deviation; cargo interests’ responsibilities for the cargo they ship; defences to cargo claims; the role of cargo insurers and subrogation; P&I cover for cargo claims; and the recovery options available to a carrier facing a cargo liability. Cargo Claims also includes a detailed clause-by-clause commentary on the InterClub Agreement.

Written for practitioners and those working on cargo claims day-to-day, the book will be invaluable for ship operators, shipping law firms, barristers’ chambers, cargo recovery agencies and P&I insurers. Readers will gain a comprehensive guide to the handling of cargo claims by way of a detailed analysis of the underlying legal principles and through practical guidance.

David Richards has a degree in law from the University of Exeter and qualified as a solicitor at Ince & Co in 2007, becoming a partner there in 2015. In 2018 he joined North of England P&I club as a deputy director specialising in cargo claims, eventually becoming Deputy Global Head of P&I Claims and Head of Legal & Expertise. In January 2025, he returned to private practice as a Director at Shearwater Law.