MICHAEL TETTEH vs. EMMANUEL TETTEH SIKA AND JOSEPH TETTEH KWADZO [2000]DLCA6516

Date	2000-04-13
Suit No.	CA: 149/99
Citation No.	[2000]DLCA6516

BENIN JA (PRESIDING)

TWUMASI JA

OWUSU-ANSAH JA

MR. A. NORVOR FOR THE PLAINTIFF

MR. K. HEWARD-MILLS FOR THE REFENDANT

[2000]DLCA6516
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MICHAEL
TETTEH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>EMMANUEL
TETTEH SIKA AND JOSEPH TETTEH KWADZO<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/
APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<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="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CA:
149/99&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 13TH APRIL 2000.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MR. K. HEWARD-MILLS FOR
THE REFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">BENIN JA (PRESIDING),
TWUMASI JA, OWUSU-ANSAH JA<o:p></o:p>

</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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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>OWUSU-ANSAH,
JA. <o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal from the judgment of the Circuit Court Odumase-Krobo. It would
conduce to clarity of thought if the relevant facts are recounted in detail. On
the 16th November 1995, the elders of Saisi, a suburb of Odumase-Krobo, decided
to tidy up the township and also to fill up the potholes on the motor roads in
the town. <o:p></o:p>Accordingly,
communal labour was organised. A truck was also hired, which conveyed gravels
for the filling up of the said potholes. The Plaintiff was one of the young men
who joined the elders to do the communal labour at Saisi during that period. <o:p></o:p>The
job could not be completed that day and so it became necessary to engage
another truck, because of the unavailability of the first original truck to
convey the gravel. <o:p></o:p>Consequently
the elders approached the second Defendant and hired his tipper truck No. GR
9617D for the purpose. <o:p></o:p>According
to the Plaintiff, as the 1st Defendant did not know where to deposit the
gravels the elders asked him to go and show the 1st Defendant where the loads
were to be deposited. <o:p></o:p>In
the morning of the 17th November, 1995 the Plaintiff waited for, and stopped,
the Driver of the tipper truck No. GR 9617 D (1st Defendant.) <o:p></o:p>At
the request of the 1st Defendant the Plaintiff joined the truck to go and
discharge some cement blocks then in the vehicle. <o:p></o:p>After
discharging the blocks the Plaintiff sat in the front seat of the truck, the
1st Defendant Driver boarded the truck and drove off. <o:p></o:p>In
the course of the journey the 1st Defendant stopped and gave a certain lady a
lift; she sat between the Plaintiff and the 1st Defendant. <o:p></o:p>The
road, according to the Plaintiff’s evidence, was “rough and sloppy”. He shut
the door and the Driver started the engine. The vehicle moved forward and then
stopped. Suddenly the tipper truck started moving uncontrollably and went over
a certain bridge. The front door opened in the process. He fell down from the
vehicle, and fainted, waking up at the Atua Hospital. He sustained serious
injuries, and received treatments at Atua Hospital, Akosombo Hospital,
Koforidua Hospital and then at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Accra. He now
urinates through a catheter tube. <o:p></o:p>1.
The Plaintiff therefore sued the Defendants jointly and severally for general
damages for injuries sustained by him as a result of negligent/driving of
vehicle No. GR 9617D by the 1st Defendant, in the course of his employment as
agent/servant of the 2nd Defendant, on the 17th November 1995. <o:p></o:p>2.
The Plaintiff further claims special damages of ¢400,000.00 being medical and
transport expenses incurred at Atua Hospital, Akosombo Hospital, Koforidua
Hospital and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, from 17th November 1995 to the date of
this writ. <o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff gave particulars of negligence as including incompetent handling of
the diesel Servo vehicle: <o:p></o:p>-
Negligently allowing the ignition to go off rendering the vehicle
uncontrollable. <o:p></o:p>