avarie

An avarie is a maritime term used in French and Italian shipping law to denote damage or loss suffered by a vessel, its crew, or its cargo during a voyage. The term is used in several Romance-language maritime vocabularies and appears in insurance and carriage documents. In English-language maritime law, avaries are commonly referred to as losses or damages arising from transit and may trigger a claim under marine insurance or carrier liability.

Avarie covers a range of events. Physical damage to the hull, deck, machinery, or equipment of the vessel; damage to or loss of cargo through rough handling, leakage, contamination, or spoilage; misdelivery or short-delivery of goods; and sometimes losses caused by delays that reduce cargo value.

Handling: When an avarie occurs, the master or carrier typically documents the incident and notifies the insurer and relevant parties. A surveyor or adjuster inspects the vessel and cargo to assess extent and cause of damage. The resulting claim is settled under the terms of the marine policy and the contract of carriage, with deductions for deductibles, salvage, and depreciation as applicable. In many legal systems, avarie is distinct from general average, a separate regime where all parties share certain extraordinary costs to save the voyage.

Etymology: The term originates in French seafaring language and has cognates in Italian (avarìa/avarie) and Spanish (avería).