Legal Definitions - libelant

A libelant is the individual or entity that initiates a specific type of lawsuit, primarily in courts dealing with maritime law (known as admiralty courts). They do this by filing an initial legal document called a "libel," which outlines their claims and requests, much like a plaintiff files a "complaint" in other civil cases. It's important to note that in this context, "libel" refers to the legal pleading that starts a lawsuit, not to written defamation.

Here are some examples:

• Example 1: A company, "Global Imports," hired a shipping carrier to transport a valuable consignment of electronics across the ocean. During the voyage, a severe storm caused significant damage to the cargo due to the carrier's alleged negligence in securing the containers. Global Imports decides to sue the shipping carrier for the damages in a maritime court.

  Explanation: In this scenario, Global Imports is the libelant because it is the party initiating a lawsuit in an admiralty court (a court specializing in maritime law) by filing a "libel" (the initial legal document) against the shipping carrier to recover losses for the damaged cargo.

• Example 2: A deckhand named Alex was seriously injured while working on a commercial fishing trawler when faulty equipment malfunctioned. He seeks compensation for his medical expenses and lost wages from the vessel's owner and operator, alleging unsafe working conditions.

  Explanation: Alex would be considered the libelant if he files a lawsuit in an admiralty court against the trawler's owner, seeking damages for his injuries under maritime law. His initial filing, outlining his claims, would be the "libel."

• Example 3: After discovering an abandoned and derelict cargo ship drifting dangerously close to a shipping lane, a professional salvage company, "Ocean Rescue Services," successfully towed it to a safe harbor, preventing a potential environmental disaster. Ocean Rescue Services now seeks a salvage award (payment for their efforts) from the ship's owner.

  Explanation: Ocean Rescue Services acts as the libelant when it files a claim in an admiralty court to establish its right to a salvage award and determine the amount owed by the ship's owner. The legal document initiating this claim is the "libel."