Glossary of Transportation Law Terms

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Hamburg Rules: Rules governing the rights and responsibilities of carrier and cargo interests which may be incorporated into a contract for the carriage of goods by sea either by agreement of the parties or statutorily. These rules were adopted by the United National Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea in 1978.

Hatch: A rectangular opening in a vessel's deck.

Hearing: A proceeding usually without a jury.

Hearsay: Secondhand information that a witness only heard about from someone else and did not see or hear himself. Hearsay is not admitted in court because it's not trustworthy, though there are many exceptions.

Helicopter: A rotorcraft that, for its horizontal motion, depends principally on its engine-driven rotors.

Hold: In a general sense, the interior of a hull. The term is more commonly used to describe the part of a merchant ship's interior where the cargo and ballast were stowed.