HESSE vs. ACCRA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AND ANOTHER [1964]DLSC1908

Date	1964-06-22
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1964]DLSC1908

MILLS-ODOI JSC

OLLENNU JSC

ACOLATSE J.S.C.

E. N. MOORE FOR THE APPELLANT.

A. W. ACQUAAH FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[1964]DLSC1908
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >HESSE <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>ACCRA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AND ANOTHER <o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT]<o:p></o:p>[1964] GLR 399<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
22 JUNE 1964.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

E. N. MOORE FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

A. W. ACQUAAH FOR THE RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

MILLS-ODOI, OLLENNU AND ACOLATSE
JJ.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF OLLENNU J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>Ollennu
J.S.C. delivered the judgment of the court. The appellant, hereinafter called
the plaintiff, father of one Herman Wilhelm Hesse, Jnr., deceased, sued on
behalf of himself and other dependants of his said deceased son; he claimed
£G7,000 damages against the respondents, hereinafter called the defendants, for
negligence of the second defendant a servant of the first defendant council,
which he alleged, caused the death of his said son. The action was brought
under the Fatal Accidents Act, 1846,1 section 1 of which enables a dependant to
sue for the benefit of himself and of all dependants of the deceased. Under
section 5 of the Act a parent comes within the class of dependants; but it is a
question of fact in each case whether he really was dependent upon his child at
the time of his death.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
material averments of the plaintiff are contained in paragraph (3) (a) of his
statement of claim, and are as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">&nbsp;“(3) (a) On the 15th day of May, 1957, at
about 6.30 p.m. the said Herman Wilhelm Hesse, deceased, was lawfully riding
his motor scooter along Christiansborg Road from Accra to Christiansborg when
the second defendant the said Joseph Quaye, while driving the first defendant
Bus No. AD 2116 in the course of his employment, drove the said Bus No. AD 2116
so negligently that it knocked violently the deceased off his scooter at the
Christiansborg Cross Roads whereby the said deceased died as a result of the
said incident.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Full
particulars of the negligence alleged in the said paragraph 3 (a) of the statement
of claim were given in paragraph 4 (b) of the statement of claim.<o:p></o:p>In reply
to the said averments of the plaintiff, the defendants pleaded in paragraphs
(3), (4) and (5) of their statement of defence as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(3) The
particulars of negligence are denied as though each were set out herein and
specifically traversed. (4) the defendants while admitting paragraph (3) (a)
only as to the date and time, emphatically deny the allegation of absolute
negligence therein contained. (5) further to paragraph (4) supra, the
defendants say that if, which is not admitted, the plaintiff herein has
suffered any damage at all, the said damage was caused or alternatively
contributed to by negligence on the part of the deceased,” and set
out particulars of the contributory negligence they relied upon. Upon the
pleadings the following issues were agreed upon for trial:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(a) Whether
or not the second defendant as servant of the first defendant was negligent, <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b) Whether
or not such negligence was the sole cause of the accident resulting in the
death of the deceased, <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(c) Whether
or not the plaintiff for and on behalf of the said dependants is entitled to
the amount claimed as damages, and <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(d) Whether
the deceased was negligent.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>