The responsibility of rail carrier for the death and physical injury of passengers in rail transport after the accession of the Republic of Criatia to the European Union

Abstract

Autorica u radu analizira odredbe o odgovornosti prijevoznika za smrt i tjelesne ozljede putnika koje nastanu tijekom realizacije ugovora o prijevozu željeznicom u odnosu na domaće pravne propise. Nakon ulaska Republike Hrvatske u Europsku uniju (u daljnjem tekstu EU) 1. srpnja 2013. na domaći prijevoz putnika primjenjuju se odredbe Uredbe (EC) 1371/2007 Europskog parlamenta i Vijeća o pravima i obvezama putnika u željezničkom prometu (u daljnjem tekstu Uredba 1371/2007)1 koje su u cijelosti implementirane u hrvatsko zakonodavstvo. Obrada pitanja odgovornosti prijevoznika za navedene štete izvršena je kroz prikaz i analizu: pravnih izvora, međunarodnih i domaćih, ugovora o prijevozu putnika, općih odredaba o odgovornosti prijevoznika, odgovornosti prijevoznika za smrt i tjelesne ozljede putnika. Posebnu pozornost posvećuje institutu osiguranja od odgovornosti prijevoznika i izravnoj tužbi. Autorica zaključuje da je Republika Hrvatska uskladila svoje zakonodavstvo s međunarodnim unifikacijskim instrumentima i pravom EU iz područja željezničkog putničkog prijevoza, što je uvelike doprinijelo osuvremenjivanju hrvatskog ugovornog prijevoznog prava.The author analyses the provisions on responsibility for the death and physical injury of passengers in rail transport after the implementation of the agreement on rail transport in relation to domestic legal regulations. After the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union on 1 July 2013, in the domestic transport of passengers the provisions of the Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 of 23 October 2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on rail passengers’ rights and obligations are applicable. They are entirely implemented in the Croatian legislation. The analysis of the question of passenger responsibility in the aforementioned loss is done through the analysis of: legal sources, both international and national; agreement on passenger transport; general provisions on the responsibility of rail carrier, and the responsibility of rail carrier for death and physical injury of passengers. Particular attention is paid to the insurance of the rail carrier’s liability and to the direct action. The author concludes that the Republic of Croatia has harmonised its legislation with international unification instruments and the law of the European Union in the area of rail passenger transport; this has greatly contributed to the modernisation of Croatian contractual transport law