ABOAGYE vs. QUARTEY AND ANOTHER [1988]DLHC246

Date	1988-06-17
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1988]DLHC246

PIESARE J.

[1988]DLHC246
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">ABOAGYE<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">QUARTEY AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">PIESARE J.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The claim was for:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5pt 0.5in; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“(1) General
damages as a result of the negligence of the first defendant, servant or agent
or both of the second defendant, in managing, driving and controlling his
vehicle No. ASA 3984 which resulted in a collision with the plaintiff’s vehicle
No. ARC 5155.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5pt 0.5in; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(2) Loss of use
from 13 December 1986 to the date of judgment at the rate of ¢8,000 per day.”<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The defendants were served with the writ of summons by substituted
service by publication in the People’s Daily Graphic. And an interlocutory
judgment was thereafter entered against the defendants for assessment of
damages.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">At the assessment, the plaintiff gave evidence and called a
representative of Bartholomew (Ghana) Ltd. who had repaired her damaged
vehicle. It is clear that the plaintiff is the owner of a Ford Transit
commercial bus No. ARC 5155. The plaintiff’s said vehicle was plying between
Accra and Takoradi. On 12 December 1986 the plaintiff’s vehicle was in
collision with a Toyota Hiace mini bus No. ASA 3984 in a motor accident. The
plaintiff’s vehicle was damaged in the accident. Before the accident, it was
earning about an average of ¢8,000 per day.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Now, the accident occurred on 12 December 1986. The first
plaintiff witness from Bartholomew examined the damaged vehicle on 12 December
1987 and estimated the cost of repairs to be ¢149,811.43. The estimate report
is exhibit A. It is clear from the evidence of the Bartholomew engineer, the
first plaintiff witness, that after the accident, the plaintiff did not submit
the vehicle to Bartholomew until about November 1987. As a result, repairs on
the damaged vehicle were not completed until March 1988. And it was the
evidence of the engineer that it took about three months to repair the
plaintiff’s damaged vehicle. The total cost of repairs including spare parts for
the job, purchased by the plaintiff and her husband (supported by receipts),
came to about ¢179,000. Now, the plaintiff claims the ¢179,000 cost of the
repairs, and loss of earnings at the rate of ¢8,000 per day for seven days a
week from the date of the accident to the date of the judgment.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">I have no problem with the claim for the cost of repairs which I
think is fairly covered by receipts. I accept this claim, and I accordingly
enter judgment for the plaintiff against the defendants for the sum of ¢179,000
being the cost of repairs on the plaintiff’s said damaged vehicle. The problem
left is the assessment of loss of earnings.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The question is, for what length of time is the plaintiff entitled
to recover from the defendants, the plaintiff’s loss of earnings? This problem
was considered in the case of West African Bakery v. Miezah [1972] 1 G.L.R. 78,
C.A. per Azu Crabbe J.S.C. (as he then was); which case, hereafter will be
referred to simply as the Bakery case.<o:p></o:p>