FRANCIS KONTOH vs. J. K. AMPONG & ANOR. [2015]DLHC3540

Date	2015-01-21
Suit No.	SUIT NO.OCC/54/12
Citation No.	[2015]DLHC3540

HER LADYSHIP ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

MR. S.B. DONKOR FOR PLAINTIFF.

MR. J.K. KODUA FOR DEFENDANTS.

[2015]DLHC3540
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="OLE_LINK1">FRANCIS KONTOH<o:p></o:p></a>vs.<o:p></o:p>J. K.
AMPONG &amp; ANOR.<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL
DIVISION), KUMASI]<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">

SUIT NO.OCC/54/12&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; &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: 21ST JANUARY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR.
S.B. DONKOR FOR PLAINTIFF.<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">

HER LADYSHIP ANGELINA MENSAH-HOMIAH (MRS.) JUSTICE
OF THE HIGH COURT<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>The
Plaintiff was on board an articulator truck&nbsp;
with registration number AS 5338 Z which was conveying dried cocoa
beans&nbsp; from Juaboso to Kumasi and it
collided head on with a Mercedes Benz bus with registration number GT 4525 B
driven by the 2nd Defendant and owned by the 1st Defendant.&nbsp; These facts are undisputed.<o:p></o:p>As
a result of this accident, the Plaintiff claims General and Special damages
jointly and severally against the Defendants for the injuries he sustained. The
Defendants deny being negligent.<o:p></o:p>Three
issues were set down for this trial, namely,<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;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Whether or not
on the 8th January, 2011, the 2nd Defendant negligently
drove, manipulated and controlled the 1st Defendant’s vehicle with
Registration number GT 4525 B?<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;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Whether or not
the Plaintiff has suffered various degrees of injuries as a result of the
accident which occurred on 8th January, 2011?<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;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Whether or not
the Plaintiff has been deformed and incapacitated as a result of the accident?<o:p></o:p>NEGLIGENCE<o:p></o:p>To
succeed, a party alleging negligence must establish that he was owed a duty of
care by his opponent and that duty was breached as a result of which he has
suffered an injury or damage. In Edward Nasser v McVroom (1996-97) SCGLR 479,
the Supreme Court, per Acquah JSC (as he then was) stated:<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;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">“It is trite learning </main>