NORGBEY AND ANOTHER vs. ASANTE AND ANOTHER [1992]DLHC2047

Date	1992-10-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1992]DLHC2047

ACQUAH J.

J. M.V. DOTSE (WITH HIM MISS V.P. DENNIS) FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.

K. DZIRASAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS.

[1992]DLHC2047
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">NORGBEY AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">ASANTE AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, HO]<o:p></o:p>[1992] 1 GLR 506<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 14
OCTOBER 1992<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>J. M.V. DOTSE (WITH HIM MISS V.P. DENNIS) FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.<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">

K. DZIRASAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF ACQUAH J.<o:p></o:p>On 11 December 1987 on the Ho-Aflao road Emmanuel Norgbey, the
first plaintiff, was driving a Mazda mini bus with registration No. VR 4037
from Aflao towards Ho. Between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the outskirts
of Dzodze town, this vehicle was involved in an accident with a MAN diesel
articulator truck with registration No. GN 6357 owned by the Tarzan Transport
Co. Ltd, Tema, the second defendant herein. The Mazda mini bus was damaged
beyond repairs. The second plaintiff claiming to be the owner of the Mazda mini
bus, together with the first plaintiff took out the instant writ against the
driver and owner of the MAN diesel articulator truck for special and general
damages. The basis of the plaintiffs’ claim is that the accident arose out of
the negligence of the driver of the MAN diesel articulator vehicle. The details
of the alleged negligence were pleaded in paragraphs (5) and (8) of their
statement of claim 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">“(5) On or about the 11 day of December 1987 at about 8.55 p.m. on
the Dzodze-Ho motor road the first defendant then the driver of MAN diesel
articulator truck No. GN 6357 so negligently parked his vehicle on the road
leaving the nearside headlight on and as a result the first plaintiff who was
then in charge of Mazda mini bus No. VR 4037 driving from Aflao to Ho was so
blinded by the headlight left on the vehicle by the first defendant that he ran
his vehicle into portions of the first defendant’s vehicle as a result of which
the first defendant started his vehicle and attempted to ran away before he was
chased and arrested. <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">(8) Particulars of Negligence <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a).&nbsp; Driving with only one
effective headlamp. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b).&nbsp; Failing to put off headlight
after having parked when it was unsafe to do so. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(c).&nbsp; Failing to park properly off
the road for other vehicles lawfully using the road to do so unimpeded. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">(d).
Or in the alternative the plaintiffs may rely on the doctrine of
res ipsa loquitur to prove the negligence of the defendants.”<o:p></o:p>In their defence, the defendants denied the allegation of
negligence and rather accused the first plaintiff of being negligent at the
material time. They pleaded this in paragraphs (4), (5) and (6) 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">“(4) In further answer to paragraph (5) the defendants would say
that the first defendant was securely parked off the road to his nearside with
both headlights on at dim to warn oncoming t</main>