Rhodian law as a prototype of the claim for damage

Abstract


 
 
 The doctrine of Rhodian law of jettison has a long history in Roman law and has been inherited by numerous legal systems of today. during the pre-classical period of Roman law, Rhodian law was incorporated in the Roman legal system, and probably it was implied in all contracts of carrying goods by sea. Rhodian law was also a prototype of a claim for damage suffered in another person’s interests in Polish civil law. The Author presents the origin of general average, the reasons of the introduction of this regulation, as well as its function in roman law and Polish civil law. The article explores the premises of the regulation and provides its comparative analysis. Art. 438 of the Polish Civil Code of 1964 is rarely used in practice due to many competing actions that can be taken by suffered persons. From the point of view of the purpose of this regulation, the most important is to encourage third parties to intervene in the interests of others, which is desirable preventive behavior that can be recognized as a quasi- preventive remedy and is necessary in today’s society.