Case Digest (G.R. No. 138296)
Facts:
- The case involves Viron Transportation Co., Inc. (petitioner) and Alberto Delos Santos y Natividad and Rudy Samidan (respondents).
- The incident occurred on August 16, 1993, at approximately 2:30 PM along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Parsolingan, Gerona, Tarlac.
- The petitioner owned a passenger bus, Viron Transit Bus No. 1080, while the respondents owned a Forward Cargo Truck with Plate No. TDY-524, driven by Delos Santos.
- The Viron bus, driven by Wilfredo Villanueva, was traveling south towards Manila, following the cargo truck.
- The petitioner claimed the truck swerved to the right shoulder, and as the bus attempted to overtake, the truck swerved back, causing a collision.
- The respondents contended that the truck was driving straight and swerved to the right to allow the bus to pass, but the bus collided with the truck when it returned to its lane.
- The Regional Trial Court ruled in favor of the respondents, finding the petitioner liable for the accident due to the negligence of its driver.
- The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision, leading the petitioner to file a motion for reconsideration, which was denied, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeals did not err in attributing fault to the petitioner’s driver for the accident.
- The Court found that the respondents' counterclaim sufficiently stated a cause of action against the petitioner.
- The Court acknowledged the petitioner’s argument regarding the lack of evidence for the awarded damages and modified the award acco...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' findings, emphasizing that factual determinations by the trial court are generally conclusive unless compelling reasons for reversal exist.
- Evidence indicated that the collision was primarily due to the negligence of the Viron bus driver, who failed to ensure safe overtaking.
- The Court reiterated tha...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. 138296)
Facts:
The case involves Viron Transportation Co., Inc. as the petitioner and Alberto Delos Santos y Natividad and Rudy Samidan as the respondents. The events leading to the case occurred on August 16, 1993, in the afternoon, specifically around 2:30 PM, along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Parsolingan, Gerona, Tarlac. The petitioner, a public utility transportation company, owned a passenger bus identified as Viron Transit Bus No. 1080, while the respondents owned a Forward Cargo Truck with Plate No. TDY-524, which was driven by Alberto Delos Santos.
On the day of the incident, the Viron bus, driven by Wilfredo Villanueva, was traveling from the north towards Manila, following the cargo truck driven by Delos Santos. According to the petitioner’s version, the cargo truck swerved to the right shoulder of the road, and as the bus attempted to overtake it, the truck swerved back to the left lane, resulting in a collision between the left front side of the truck and the right front side of the bus. Conversely, the respondents claimed that Delos Santos was driving the truck along the highway when the Viron bus attempted to overtake. They asserted that the truck swerved to the right shoulder to allow the bus to pass, but the bus collided with the truck as it swerved back into its lane to avoid an oncoming bus.
The Regional Trial Court of Manila, in Civil Case No. 93-67283, ruled in favor of the respondents, dismissing the petitioner’s complaint and awarding damages to the respondents. The court found that the petitioner was liable for the accident due to the negligence of its driver. The petitioner appealed to the Court of Appeals, which affirmed the lower court's decision in its entirety. The petitioner subsequently fi...