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Mobil sues Saipan Stevedore for ‘flying’ shipping containers
Mobil Oil Mariana Island Inc. is suing Saipan Stevedore Company Inc. for allegedly failing to pay for the destruction it caused to the Mobil terminal at the Port of Saipan when its shipping containers were blown by Typhoon Soudelor into the terminal’s fence in August 2015.
Mobil Oil, through Richard L. Johnson, asked the Superior Court to hold Saipan Stevedore liable to pay for damages.
Saipan Tribune contacted Saipan Stevedore yesterday for comments but a staff said the general manager is off-island, while the assistant manager was already off.
Mobil Oil operates a bulk fuel terminal at the Port of Saipan. Saipan Stevedore operates a container yard at the same port. The two are adjacent to one another.
On the evening of Aug. 2, 2015, Typhoon Soudelor struck Saipan and several shipping containers were blown by the winds and slammed into the Mobil terminal’s fence.
According to Johnson in the lawsuit, the containers damaged the fence, various pipelines, and other equipment, including an aboveground tank that had unleaded gasoline.
Johnson said the shipping container that struck the storage tank caused the tank to rupture and to spill a portion of its contents.
The lawyer argued that Saipan Stevedore failed to take reasonable measures to secure the containers in its yard in preparation for the typhoon.
Johnson said Saipan Stevedore should have known that typhoon force winds can propel empty shipping containers into structures and equipment.
Johnson said Saipan Stevedore failed to prepare a plan to reduce the risks posed by the containers.
“Demands to pay for damage caused by SaiSteve’s negligence have not succeeded in obtaining payment for Mobil’s damages,” the lawyer said.
