TransportationDigest:LRTAV.
Navidad(2003)
G.R.No.145804February6,2003
LessonsApplicable:ActionableDocument(transportation)
LawsCited:Art.1755,Art.1756,Art.1759,Art.1763
FACTS:
October14,1993,7:30p.m.:DrunkNicanorNavidad(Nicanor)enteredtheEDSALRTstation
afterpurchasingatoken.
WhileNicanorwasstandingattheplatformneartheLRTtracks,theguardJunelitoEscartin
approachedhim.
Duetomisunderstanding,theyhadafistfight
Nicanorfellonthetracksandkilledinstantaneouslyuponbeinghitbyamovingtrainoperatedby
RodolfoRoman
December8,1994:ThewidowofNicanor,alongwithherchildren,filedacomplaintfordamages
againstEscartin,Roman,LRTA,MetroTransitOrg.Inc.andPrudent(agencyofsecurityguards)
forthedeathofherhusband.
LRTAandRomanfiledacounterclaimagainstNicanorandacrossclaimagainstEscartinand
Prudent
Prudent:deniedliabilityaverredthatithadexercisedduediligenceintheselectionand
surpervisionofitssecurityguards
LRTAandRoman:presentedevidence
PrudentandEscartin:demurrercontendingthatNavidadhadfailedtoprovethatEscartinwas
negligentinhisassignedtask
RTC:InfavourofwidowandagainstPrudentandEscartin,complaintagainstLRTandRoman
weredismissedforlackofmerit
CA:reversedbyexoneratingPrudentandheldLRTAandRomanliable
ISSUE:W/NLRTAandRomanshouldbeliableaccordingtothecontractofcarriageNO.
HELD:NO.AffirmedwithModification:(a)nominaldamagesisDELETED(CANNOTcoexistw/
compensatorydamages)(b)Romanisabsolved.
Lawandjurisprudencedictatethatacommoncarrier,bothfromthenatureofitsbusinessandfor
reasonsofpublicpolicy,isburdenedwiththedutyoffexercisingutmostdiligenceinensuringthe
safetyofpassengers
CivilCode:
Art.1755.Acommoncarrierisboundtocarrythepassengerssafelyasfarashumancareand
foresightcanprovide,usingtheutmostdiligenceofverycautiouspersons,withadueregardfor
allthecircumstances
Art.1756.Incaseofdeathorinjuriestopassengers,commoncarriersarepresumedtohave
beenatfaultortohaveactednegligently,unlesstheyprovethattheyobservedextraordinary
diligenceasprescribedinarticles1733and1755
Art.1759.Commoncarriersareliableforthedeathoforinjuriestopassengersthroughthe
negligenceorwilfulactsoftheformersemployees,althoughsuchemployeesmayhaveacted
beyondthescopeoftheirauthorityorinviolationoftheordersofthecommoncarriers
ThisliabilityofthecommoncarriersdoesNOTceaseuponproofthattheyExercisedallthediligenceof
agoodfatherofafamilyintheselectionandsupervisionoftheiremployees
Art.1763.Acommoncarrierisresponsibleforinjuriessufferedbyapassengeronaccountofthe
wilfulactsornegligenceofotherpassengersorofstrangers,ifthecommoncarriersemployees
throughtheexerciseofthediligenceofagoodfatherofafamilycouldhavepreventedorstopped
theactoromission.
Carrierspresumedtobeatfaultorbeennegligentandbysimpleproofofinjury,thepassengeris
relieavedofthedutytostillestablishthefaultornegligenceofthecarrierorofitsemployeesand
theburdenshiftsuponthecarriertoprovethattheinjuryisduetoanunforeseeneventorto
forcemajeure
Whereithiresitsownemployeesoravailitselfoftheservicesofanoutsideroranindependent
firmtoundertakethetask,thecommoncarrierisNOTrelievedofitsresponsibilitiesunderthe
contractofcarriage
GR:PrudentcanbeliableonlyfortortunderArt.2176andrelatedprovisionsinconjunctionwith
Art.2180oftheCivilCode.(Tortmayariseevenunderacontract,wheretort[quasidelict
liability]isthatwhichbreachesthecontract)
EX:ifemployersliabilityisnegligenceorfaultonthepartoftheemployee,employercanbe
madeliableonthebasisofthepresumptionjuristantumthattheemployerfailedtoexercise
diligentissimipatrisfamiliesintheselectionandsupervisionofitsemployees.
EXtotheEX:Uponshowingduediligenceintheselectionandsupervisionoftheemployee
FactualfindingoftheCA:NOlinkbet.PrudentandthedeathofNicanorforthereasonthatthe
negligenceofEscartinwasNOTproven
NOshowingthatRomanhimselfisguiltyofanyculpableactoromission,hemustalsobe
absolvedfromliability
Contractualtiebet.LRTandNicanorisNOTitselfajuridicalrelationbet.NicanorandRoman
Romancanbeliableonlyforhisownfaultornegligence
LRT vs. NAVIDAD
G.R.No.145804.February6,2003
FACTS:
NavidadwasdrunkwhenheenteredtheboardingplatformoftheLRT.Hegotintoanaltercationwith
theSGEscartin.TheyhadafistfightandNavidadfellontothetracksandwaskilledwhenatraincame
andranoverhim.
TheHeirsofNavidadfiledacomplaintfordamagesagainstEscartin,thetraindriver,(Roman)the
LRTA,theMetroTransitOrganizationandPrudentSecurityAgency(Prudent).Thetrialcourtfound
PrudentandEscartinjointlyandseverallyliablefordamagestotheheirs.TheCAexoneratedPrudent
andinsteadheldtheLRTAandthetraindriverRomerojointlyandseverallyliableaswellasremoving
theawardforcompensatorydamagesandreplacingitwithnominaldamages.
ThereasoningoftheCAwasthatacontractofcarriagealreadyexistedbetweenNavidadandLRTA
(byvirtueofhishavAingpurchasedtrainticketsandtheliabilitywascausedbythemerefactof
Navidad'sdeathafterbeinghitbythetrainbeingmanagedbytheLRTAandoperatedbyRoman.The
CAalsoblamedLRTAfornothavingpresentedexpertevidenceshowingthattheemergencybrakes
couldnothavestoppedthetrainontime.
ISSUES:
(1)WhetherornotLRTAand/orRomanisliableforthedeath.
(2)WhetherornotEscartinand/orPrudentareliable.
(3)Whetherornotnominaldamagesmaycoexistwithcompensatorydamages.
HELD:
(1)Yes.ThefoundationofLRTA'sliabilityisthecontractofcarriageanditsobligationtoindemnifythe
victimarisingfromthebreachofthatcontractbyreasonofitsfailuretoexercisethehighdiligence
requiredofacommoncarrier.
(2)Faultwasnotestablished.LiabilitywillbebasedonTortunderArt.2176oftheNewCivilCode.
(3)No.Itisanestablishedrulethatnominaldamagescannotcoexistwithcompensatorydamages.
RATIO:
LiabilityofLRTAReadArts.1755,1756,1759and1763oftheNewCivilCode
Acommoncarrierisrequiredbytheseabovestatutoryprovisionstouseutmostdiligenceincarrying
passengerswithdueregardforallcircumstances.Thisobligationexistsnotonlyduringthecourseof
thetripbutforsolongasthepassengersarewithinitspremiseswheretheyoughttobeinpursuance
tothencontractofcarriage.
Art.1763rendersacommoncarrierliablefordeathoforinjurytopassengers(a)throughthe
negligenceorwilfulactsofitsemployeesor(b)onaccountofwillfulactsornegligenceofother
passengersorofstrangersifthecommoncarriersemployeesthroughtheexerciseofduediligence
couldhavepreventedorstoppedtheactoromission.Incaseofsuchdeathorinjury,acarrieris
presumedtohavebeenatfaultorbeennegligent,andbysimpleproofofinjury,thepassengeris
relievedofthedutytostillestablishthefaultornegligenceofthecarrierorofitsemployeesandthe
burdenshiftsuponthecarriertoprovethattheinjuryisduetoanunforeseeneventortoforce
majeure.
LiabilityofSecurityAgencyIfPrudentistobeheldliable,itwouldbeforatortunderArt.2176
inconjunctionwithArt.2180.OncethefaultoftheemployeeEscartinisestablished,theemployer,
Prudent,wouldbeheldliableonthepresumptionthatitdidnotexercisethediligenceofagoodfather
ofthefamilyintheselectionandsupervisionofitsemployees.
RelationshipbetweencontractualandnoncontractualbreachHowthenmusttheliabilityof
thecommoncarrier,ontheonehand,andanindependentcontractor,ontheotherhand,be
described?Itwouldbesolidary.Acontractualobligationcanbebreachedbytortandwhenthesame
actoromissioncausestheinjury,oneresultinginculpacontractualandtheotherinculpaaquiliana,
Article2194oftheCivilCodecanwellapply.Infine,aliabilityfortortmayariseevenundera
contract,wheretortisthatwhichbreachesthecontract.Stateddifferently,whenanactwhich
constitutesabreachofontractwouldhaveitselfconstitutedthesourceofaquasidelictualliabilityhad
nocontractexistedbetweentheparties,thecontractcanbesaidtohavebeenbreachedbytort,
therebyallowingtherulesontorttoapply.
NominalDamagesTheawardofnominaldamagesinadditiontoactualdamagesisuntenable.
Nominaldamagesareadjudicatedinorderthatarightoftheplaintiff,whichhasbeenviolatedor
invadedbythedefendant,maybevindicatedorrecognized,andnotforthepurposeofindemnifying
theplaintiffforanylosssufferedbyhim.Itisanestablishedrulethatnominaldamagescannotco
existwithcompensatorydamages.Theawardwasdeleted/\.
