(1) If a person on board a vessel suffers a personal injury or dies because of the fault of the vessel and of another vessel, the liability of the owners of the vessels is joint and several.
(2) This section does not:
(a) deprive a person of a right of defence on which, independently of this section, the person might have relied in an action brought against him or her by:
(i) the person injured; or
(ii) a person entitled to sue in respect of the death; or
(b) affect the right of a person to limit his or her liability in a case to which this section relates in the manner provided by law.