JD 5 0 2: O B L I GA T IO N S a n d C O N T RA C T S w i t h S A LE S

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S T . M A R Y’S A C A D E M Y V . CA R PI T A N O S
[ GR N O . 1 43 36 3 , 0 6 F E B RUA RY 20 0 2]
P o ne nt e: P A RD O , J.

FACTS:

So m et im e i n F eb ru a ry 19 9 5 , St . Ma ry’s A c ad e my (P et i t io n e r) o f D i po lo g
C it y c on d u ct e d a n e n ro l l m e nt d ri v e f o r t he s c ho o l y ea r 19 9 5 - 19 9 6 . P art o f t h e
en r o ll m en t c am p ai g n w a s a v is i t a t io n of s c h oo ls f ro m w h e r e p ro s p ect iv e
en r o ll e es a r e c ur re n t ly s t u d yi n g.
A s a s t u de n t of St . Ma r y’s A c a de m y, S h er w i n C a r p it a n o s w a s p ar t o f t h e
ca mp a ig n in g gr ou p. O n e da y, Sh e rw i n, a lo n g w it h o t he r h ig h s c h o o l s t u de nt s
w e r e ri d i ng i n a Mi t s ub is h i j ee p ow n e d b y de fe n d a nt V i v e nc i o V i l la nu ev a on
t h ei r wa y t o L a ra ya n E l em e nt a r y Sc ho ol , La ra ya n, D a pi ta n C it y be i ng d r iv e n
by Ja m es D a n i el I I w ho w a s t he n 15 y ea rs o ld a n d a ls o a s t u d en t o f t h e s a m e
s c h oo l. A c co rd in g t o a cc ou nts , t h e la t t e r rec k l es s ly d ro v e t he j e e p a n d a s a
re s u l t, t h e j ee p ov e rt ur n e d c a us i ng S h e rw i n C a r pi ta nos to d i e as a r es u l t of
t h e inj u ri es h e s u s t a i ne d f ro m t h e a cc id en t .
T h e S P S. C a r pi t a no s f i l e d f o r da ma g es w i t h t h e B ra n c h 6 o f t he
Re g io na l T r ia l C o ur t of D i p ol o g C it y a ga i n s t D a ni e l a n d h is p ar e nt s , w h ic h
re n d ere d t h e mi n or a n d t h e ow n er o f t h e j ee p a bs o l ve d a n d S t. Ma r y’s
A ca d e m y t o pa y.
A g g r ie ve d, St . M a ry’ s A ca d em y a p p ea l e d t o t h e C ou rt o f A p p ea ls w h o
af f i r m ed t he l ow e r c ou rt ’s d ec is i o n but re duc e d t he a mo u nt o f ac t ua l
da m a g es .

IS S UE:
W he t h e r t h e p et i t i o ne r is l ia b l e f o r da m a g es f o r t h e de at h o f S h e rw i n
C a rp it a no s .

H E LD : N O
It is w e l l s et t le d t h a t f or t h e p et it io n er t o be l ia b l e, t he r e m u s t be a
fi n d in g t h at t he a c t o r o m i s s io n c o ns i d e re d n eg l ig e nt was t he p r o xi m at e
caus e o f th e i nju ry c a us e d b ec a us e t h e ne g li g en ce m us t ha ve a c aus a l
co nn ect i o n to t he a cc i d e nt . I n t h is c a s e, t h e res p o nd e nt s f a i le d t o s h o w t h at
t h e ne g l i g e nc e o f th e pe ti t i o ne r w as t h e p ro x i mat e c aus e of t h e de at h o f t h e
vi c ti m.
Res p o nd e n ts , D a n ie l a n d V i l la n ue va a d m i tt ed t h at t h e i mm e d i at e
caus e o f th e a cc i d e nt w a s n ot t h e ne g li ge n c e of t h e p et it i o ne r o r t he r ec kl es s
d ri v in g o f J a mes D a n ie l II, b ut t he d et ac h me nt o f t h e s t e e ri ng w h e e l gu i de o f
t h e j ee p. H e n c e, li a b i l it y f o r t h e a cc i de n t , w het h e r ca us ed b y t h e ne g li g en ce
of t h e m in o r dr i ve r or m ec ha n i c a l d et a c h me nt o f t he s t e e ri ng w he e l gu i d e o f
t h e j ee p, mu s t be p i n ne d o n t he m i n o r’s p a r e nt s p ri m ari ly. T he n e gl i g e nc e o f
p et i ti o n e r St . M ar y’ s A c a d em y was o n l y a r e mo t e ca u s e o f t h e ac ci d e nt – t h e
d et a c h m en t o f t h e s te eri ng w he e l g u i de o f th e j e e p. T he r ef o re, t h e acc i d en t
t ha t o ccu rre d w a s c au s e d by t h e de ta c h me n t o f t he s t ee r in g w h ee l g u i de o f
t h e j ee p, i t is n ot t h e s c h oo l, bu t t he r e g is t e r ed o w ne r of t h e v e h ic le w ho
s ha l l b e h e l d res p o n s i bl e fo r d a m a g es f o r t h e de a t h o f S h e rw i n C a rp it a n o s .

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