334 Tan v OMC Carriers

334 LETICIA TAN, TAN, MYRNA MEDINA, M EDINA, MARILOU SPOONER, ROSALINDA TAN, and MARY JANE TAN, MARY LYN TAN, CELEDONIO TAN, JR., MARY JOY TAN, and MARK ALLAN TAN, represented heren !" ther #$ther, LETICIA TAN, Petitioners, TAN,  Petitioners, vs. OMC CARRIERS, INC. and %ONI&ACIO ARAM%ALA, Respondents. ARAM%ALA,  Respondents. '.R. N$. ()*+(

Jan-ar" (, *((

%r$n, J. &ats/ 1. On November 24, 1995, at around around 6:15 a.m., a.m., Arambala Arambala was drivin drivin a tru!"5 tru!"5 wit# a trailer6 owned owned b$ O%&, alon %eral!o Road, 'u!at, %untinlupa &it$. (#en Arambala noti!ed t#at t#e tru!" #ad suddenl$ lost its bra"es, #e told #is !ompanion to )ump out. 'oon t#erea*ter, t#erea*ter, #e also )umped out and abandoned t#e tru!". +riverless, +riverless, t#e tru!" rammed into t#e #ouse and tailorin s#op owned b$ petitioner eti!ia -an and #er #usband &eledonio -an, instantl$ "illin &eledonio w#o was standin at t#e doorwa$ o* t#e #ouse at t#e time. 2. -#e petitioners petitioners alleed t#at t#at t#e !ollision !ollision o!!urred o!!urred due to O%&s O%&s ross ross nelien!e in not properl$ properl$ maintainin t#e tru!", and to Arambalas re!"lessness re!"lessness w#en #e abandoned t#e movin tru!". -#us, t#e$ !laimed t#at t#e respondents s#ould be #eld )ointl$ and severall$ liable *or t#e a!tual damaes t#at t#e$ su/ered, w#i!# in!lude t#e damae to t#eir properties, t#e *uneral e0penses t#e$ in!urred *or &eledonio -ans burial, as well as t#e loss o* #is earnin !apa!it$. -#e petitioners also as"ed *or moral and e0emplar$ damaes, and attorne$s *ees. . -#e respondents respondents denied an$ liabilit$ liabilit$ *or t#e !ollision, !ollision, essentiall$ essentiall$ !laimin !laimin t#at t#e damae to to t#e petitioners was !aused !aused b$ a *ortuitous event, sin!e t#e tru!" s"idded due to t#e slipper$ !ondition o* t#e road !aused b$ spilled motor oil. 4. R-&: O%& is *ound )oint )oint and severa severall$ ll$ liable liable to t#e petitione petitioners. rs. 5. &A: armed R-& wit# modi3!ations modi3!ations as as to t#e t#e amount o* damaes. damaes. 6. en!e, t#is t#is petition 3eld b$ petitioners uestionin t#e modi3!ations modi3!ations as to t#e amount amount o* damaes. damaes. ssue: &A redu!ed t#e amount o* a!tual and e0emplar$ damaes w#ile it deleted t#e amount awarded !orrespondin to t#e loss o* earnin !apa!it$ and attorne$s *ees. (#at damaes t#e petitioners are entitled to7 eld8 rationale: As bot# t#e R-& and t#e &A *ound t#at t#e respondents ross nelien!e led to t#e deat# o* &eledonio  -an,  -an, as well well as to t#e destru!tion o* t#e petitioners petitioners #ome and tailorin s#op, s#op, we see no reason to disturb t#is *a!tual 3ndin. (e, t#us, !on!entrate on t#e sole issue o* w#at damaes t#e petitioners are entitled to. MC Carrers, In. and %$n0a$ Ara#!a1a are $rdered t$ 2$nt1" and seera11" pa" the pett$ners the 0$11$n5/ 6(7 P+*,***.** as nde#nt" 0$r the death $0 Ce1ed$n$ Tan8 67 P9,)+.** as at-a1 da#a5es 0$r 0-nera1 e:penses8 637 P**,***.** as te#perate da#a5es 0$r the da#a5e d$ne t$ pett$ner Leta;s h$-se, ta1$rn5 sh$p, h$-seh$1d app1anes and sh$p e $0 the t$ta1 a#$-nt as att$rne";s 0ees8 and $sts $0 s-t. In addt$n, the t$ta1 a#$-nt ad2-d5ed sha11 earn nterest at the rate $0 => per ann-# 0r$# Ma" (4, **3, and at the rate $0 (> per ann-#, 0r$# the ?na1t" $0 ths Res$1-t$n $n the !a1ane and nterest d-e, -nt1 0-11" pad. 1. Te#perate da#a5es n 1e- $0 at-a1 da#a5es A!tual damaes, to be re!overable, must not onl$ be !apable o* proo*, but must a!tuall$ be proved wit# a reasonable deree o* !ertaint$. &ourts !annot simpl$ rel$ on spe!ulation, !on)e!ture or uesswor" in determinin t#e *a!t and amount o* damaes. -o )usti*$ an award o* a!tual damaes, t#ere must be !ompetent proo* o* t#e a!tual amount o* loss, !reden!e !an be iven onl$ to !laims w#i!# are dul$ supported b$ re!eipts. 22  -#e petitioners do not den$ t#at t#e$ did not submit an$ re!eipt to support t#eir !laim *or a!tual damaes to prove t#e monetar$ value o* t#e damae !aused to t#e #ouse and tailorin s#op w#en t#e tru!" rammed into t#em. -#us, no a!tual damaes *or t#e destru!tion to petitioner eti!ia -ans #ouse and tailorin s#op !an be awarded. Nonet#eless, absent !ompetent proo* on t#e a!tual damaes su/ered, a part$ still #as t#e option o* !laimin temperate damaes, w#i!# ma$ be allowed in !ases w#ere, *rom t#e nature o* t#e !ase, de3nite proo* o* pe!uniar$ loss !annot be addu!ed alt#ou# t#e !ourt is !onvin!ed t#at t#e arieved part$ su/ered some pe!uniar$ loss. 2As de3ned in Arti!le 2224 o* t#e &ivil &ode: Arti!le 2224. -emperate or moderate damaes, w#i!# are more t#an nominal but less t#an !ompensator$ damaes, ma$ be re!overed w#en t#e !ourt 3nds t#at some pe!uniar$ loss #as been su/ered but its amount !an not, *rom t#e nature o* t#e !ase, be proved wit# !ertaint$.  -#e p#otorap#s t#e petitioners presented as eviden!e s#ow t#e e0tent o* t#e damae done to t#e #ouse, t#e tailorin s#op and t#e petitioners applian!es and euipment. 25 rre*utabl$, t#is damae was dire!tl$ attributable to Arambalas ross nelien!e in #andlin O%&s tru!". n*ortunatel$, t#ese p#otorap#s are not enou# to establis# t#e amount o* t#e loss wit# !ertaint$. rom t#e attendant !ir!umstan!es and iven t#e propert$ destro$ed, 26 we 3nd t#e amount o* P2;;,;;;.;; as a *air and su!ient award b$ wa$ o* temperate damaes. 2. Te#perate da#a5es n 1e- $0 1$ss $0 earnn5 apat" 'imilarl$, t#e &A was !orre!t in disallowin t#e award o* a!tual damaes *or loss o* earnin !apa!it$. +amaes *or loss o* earnin !apa!it$ are awarded pursuant to Arti!le 22;6 o* t#e &ivil &ode, w#i!# states t#at: Arti!le 22;6. -#e amount o* damaes *or deat# !aused b$ a !rime or uasi -#e de*endant s#all be liable *or t#e loss o* t#e earnin !apa!it$ o* t#e de!eased, and t#e indemnit$ s#all be paid to t#e #eirs o* t#e latter? su!# indemnit$ s#all in ever$ !ase be assessed and awarded b$ t#e !ourt, unless t#e de!eased on a!!ount o* permanent p#$si!al disabilit$ not !aused b$ t#e de*endant, #ad no earnin !apa!it$ at t#e time o* #is deat#@.

As a rule, do!umentar$ eviden!e s#ould be presented to substantiate t#e !laim *or loss o* earnin !apa!it$. 2B C$ wa$ o* e0!eption, damaes *or loss o* earnin !apa!it$ ma$ be awarded despite t#e absen!e o* do!umentar$ eviden!e w#en: =1> t#e de!eased is sel* t#e de!eased is emplo$ed as a dail$ wae wor"er earnin less t#an t#e minimum wae under !urrent labor laws. 2E A!!ordin to t#e petitioners, prior to #is deat#, &eledonio was a sel*