Case Digest (G.R. No. L-21749)
Facts:
- Case: Republic of the Philippines vs. Luzon Stevedoring Corporation, G.R. No. L-21749
- Date of Decision: September 29, 1967
- Incident Date: August 17, 1960
- Barge L-1892, owned by Luzon Stevedoring Corporation, was towed by tugboats "Bangus" and "Barbero."
- Collision occurred with a wooden pile of the Nagtahan Bailey Bridge, causing significant damage and listing of the bridge.
- The river was swollen and currents were swift due to heavy rainfall on August 15 and 16, 1960.
- The Republic of the Philippines filed a lawsuit for damages amounting to P200,000 (Civil Case No. 44562) in the Court of First Instance of Manila.
- Luzon Stevedoring Corporation denied liability, citing due diligence, force majeure, lack of capacity to sue by the plaintiff, and the bridge as an obstruction to navigation.
- The lower court ruled on June 11, 1963, that the corporation was liable and ordered payment of P192,561.72 for repairs, plus legal interest.
- The defendant appealed, claiming several errors by the lower court.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, finding no errors in its judgment.
- Luzon Stevedoring Corporation was held liable for the damages caused by its employees. ...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The ruling was based on the principle of negligence and the doctrine of "res ipsa loquitur," which infers negligence from the occurrence of an accident involving a controlled object.
- The Nagtahan Bridge was a stationary structure with adequate navigation openings, and the collision raised a presumption of negligence against Luzon Stevedoring Corporation.
- The court rejected the argument of force majeure, stating that the precautions taken indicated foreseeable ...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. L-21749)
Facts:
The case at hand is Republic of the Philippines vs. Luzon Stevedoring Corporation, G.R. No. L-21749, decided on September 29, 1967. The incident occurred on August 17, 1960, when Barge L-1892, owned by Luzon Stevedoring Corporation, was being towed down the Pasig River by two tugboats, "Bangus" and "Barbero," also owned by the same corporation. During this operation, the barge collided with one of the wooden piles of the Nagtahan Bailey Bridge, resulting in significant damage to the bridge and causing it to list. At the time of the incident, the river was swollen and the current was swift due to heavy rainfall in Manila and surrounding areas on August 15 and 16, 1960. The Republic of the Philippines subsequently filed a lawsuit against Luzon Stevedoring Corporation for actual and consequential damages amounting to P200,000 (Civil Case No. 44562) in the Court of First Instance of Manila. The defendant denied liability, arguing that it had exercised due diligence in selecting and supervising its employees, that the incident was caused by force majeure, that the plaintiff lacked the capacity to sue, and that the bridge constituted an obstruction to navigation. After a trial, the court ruled on June 11, 1963, that Luzon Stevedoring Corporation was liable for the damages and ordered it to pay P192,561.72 for the repair of the bridge, with legal interest from the date of the complaint. The defendant appealed the decision, raising several alleged errors committed by the lower court.
Issue:
- Di...