Hardy v. Gulf Oil Corp.

I concur in the scholarly opinion of Judge Johnson, but I have these observations to emphasize certain things.

First, Zaire Gulf has not sought indemnity/contribution1 from BOS, so that question is not strictly presented to us. The opinion does not jeopardize any such rights by Zaire Gulf. Contrary to some suggestions on oral argument, the fact that Zaire Gulf settled with Hardy would not forbid Zaire Gulf from seeking indemnity/contribution from BOS.

From the viewpoint of maritime law, this is important since in the run-of-the-mill cases, especially in admiralty, a party exposed to serious…