UK Court Upholds ‘Virtually Unbreakable’ Liability Shield in Solong-Stena Immaculate Collision

A London Admiralty Court judge has ruled that the owners of the containership Solong can limit their financial liability for the catastrophic 2025 collision with the tanker Stena Immaculate, delivering a closely watched decision that reinforces the “virtually unbreakable” nature of modern maritime liability protections.

In a judgment handed down May 22, Justice Andrew Baker struck out attempts by the Stena Immaculate interests to break limitation under Article 4 of the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), despite the collision killing one seafarer, igniting a massive fire, and causing extensive damage to both vessels.

The ruling stems from the March 2025