Del Prado vs. Manila Electric

IGNACIO DEL PRADO, plaintiff-appellee, 24
vs.
MANILA ELECTRIC CO., defendant-appellant.
The defendant-appellant, (MEC), is engaged in operating street cars in the City of Manila. Teodorico
Florenciano, is the defendant's motorman. The accident happened in the intersection of Hidalgo Street and
Mendoza Street of the City of Manila. It happened when the plaintiff, Ignacio del Prado, ran across the street to
catch the car however, the motorman resumed its course at a moderate speed which caused the plaintiff's foot
to slip and therefore fell to the ground and his right foot was caught and crushed by the moving car.
The plaintiff filed a complaint for the recovery damages in the amount of P50,000 which caused by the
negligence of the defendant, (MEC), the trial court awarded to the plaintiff the sum of P10,000, as damages.
Hence this appeal.
ISSUE: WON THE DEFENDANT IS LIABLE OF DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF ITS
MOTORMAN.
The Supreme Court said YES the defendant is liable of damages because the relation between a
carrier of passengers for hire and its patrons is of a contractual nature; and in failure on the part of the carrier
to use due care in carrying its passengers safely is a breach of duty (culpa contructual) under articles 1170,
1172 and 1173 of the Civil Code.Furthermore, the duty that the carrier of passengers owes to its patrons
extends to persons boarding the cars.
The distinction between two negligence
CULPA AQUILIANA, liability arises from a mere tort, It does not involve a breach of positive obligation if
there is no pre-existing contractual relation between the parties, an employer, or master, may exculpate
himself, under the last paragraph of article (2180) of the Civil Code, by providing that he had exercised
due degligence to prevent the damage
1. WHEREAS
2. CULPA CONTRACTUAL, the defense is not available if the liability of the master arises from a breach
of contrauctual duty.
In the case at bar the company pleaded as a special defense that it had used all the diligence of a good
father of a family to prevent the damage suffered by the plaintiff; through training and instructing the motorman
in charge of the car. But this proof is irrelevant because the liability involved was derived from a breach of
obligation under article (1170) of the Civil Code
Another practical difference between liability for negligence arising under (2176) of the Civil Code and
liability arising from negligence in the performance of a positive duty, under article (1170) and related
provisions of the Civil Code, is that, in dealing with the Article 1170 form of negligence, the court is given a
discretion to mitigate liability according to the circumstances of the case under Article1172 Civil Code. No such
general discretion is given by the Code in dealing with liability arising under article (2176);
Contributory negligence of the plaintiff, The Supreme Court held that it should be treated, as a mitigating
circumstance under article 1172 of the Civil Code. It is obvious that the plaintiff's negligence in attempting to
board the moving car was not the proximate cause of the injury. The direct and proximate cause of the injury
was the act of appellant's motorman in putting on the power prematurely.
1. Ignacio del Prado filed complaint to recover damages P50,000 for personal injuries against Manila Electric
Company. Trial court awarded P10,000,
2. Teodorico Florenciano, is the defendant's motorman, was in charge of car No. 74 running from east to west
on R. Hidalgo Street, the scene of the accident being at a point near the intersection of said street and
Mendoza Street.
3. Ciriaco Guevara, one of his witnesses, said that, upon approaching the car, the plaintiff raised his hand as
an indication to the motorman to board the car, in response the motorman eased up a little, without stopping.
4. the plaintiff held, with his hand, the front perpendicular handspot, at the same time placing his left foot upon
the platform. However, before the plaintiff's position had become secure, and even before his raised right foot
had reached the flatform, the motorman applied the power, with the result that the car gave a slight lurch
forward. This caused the plaintiff's foot to slip, and his hand was jerked loose from the handpost, He therefore
fell to the ground, and his right foot was caught and crushed by the moving car.
5. finding of the trial court the accident was due to a sudden forward movement caused by the defendant’s
motorman at the moment when the plaintiff put his foot on the platform is supported by the evidence and ought
not to be disturbed.
6. the legal aspects of the case, at the start there is no obligation on the part of a street railway company to
stop its cars at other points than those appointed for stoppage. it would be impossible to operate a system of
street cars if a company engage in this business to require to stop everywhere to take on people who are lazy,
or who imagine themselves to be in a hurry, to go to the proper places for boarding the cars. Nevertheless,
although the motorman of this car was not bound to stop, it was his duty to do an act that would stop plaintiff or
any person attempting to board the car. The premature acceleration of the car was, in our opinion, a breach of
this duty.
7. The case of Cangco vs. Manila Railroad Co. (38 Phil., 768), supplies an instance of the violation of this duty
with respect to a passenger who was getting off of a train. In that case the plaintiff stepped off of a moving
train, while it was slowing down in a station, and at the time when it was too dark for him to see clearly where
he was putting his feet. The employees of the company had carelessly left watermelons on the platform at the
place where the plaintiff alighted, with the result that his feet slipped and he fell under the car, where his right
arm badly injured. This court held that the railroad company was liable for breach positive duty (culpa
contractual), and the plaintiff was awarded damages in the amount of P2,500 for the loss of his arm.
8. Doctrine of "the last clear chance." Which the contributory negligence of the party injured will not defeat the
action if it be shown that the defendant might, by the exercise of reasonable care and prudence, have avoided
the consequences of the negligence of the injured party
9. plaintiff will be adequately compensated by an award of P2,500.

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IGNACIO DEL PRADO, plaintiff-appellee, 24

Hence this appeal.

The distinction between two negligence

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