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Transportation Law Cases
Transportation Law Cases
From the testimony of appellees'own witness in the person of Vitaliano Safarita, it is evident that the subject bus was at full stop
when the victim Pedrito Cudiamat boarded the same as it was precisely on this instance where a certain Miss Abenoja alighted
from the bus. Moreover, contrary to the assertion of the appellees, the victim did indicate his intention to board the bus as can be
seen from the testimony of the said witness when he declared that Pedrito Cudiamat was no longer walking and made a sign to
board the bus when the latter was still at a distance from him. It was at the instance when Pedrito Cudiamat was closing his
umbrella at the platform of the bus when the latter made a sudden jerk movement (as) the driver commenced to accelerate the bus.
Evidently, the incident took place due to the gross negligence of the appellee-driver in prematurely stepping on the accelerator and
in not waiting for the passenger to first secure his seat especially so when we take into account that the platform of the bus was at
the time slippery and wet because of a drizzle. The defendants-appellees utterly failed to observe their duty and obligation as
common carrier to the end that they should observe extra-ordinary diligence in the vigilance over the goods and for the safety of
the passengers transported by them according to the circumstances of each case (Article 1733, New Civil Code). 8
After a careful review of the evidence on record, we find no reason to disturb the above holding of the Court of Appeals. Its
aforesaid findings are supported by the testimony of petitioners' own witnesses. One of them, Virginia Abalos, testified on cross-
examination as follows:
The foregoing testimonies show that the place of the accident and the place where one of the passengers alighted were both
between Bunkhouses 53 and 54, hence the finding of the Court of Appeals that the bus was at full stop when the victim boarded
the same is correct. They further confirm the conclusion that the victim fell from the platform of the bus when it suddenly
accelerated forward and was run over by the rear right tires of the vehicle, as shown by the physical evidence on where he was
thereafter found in relation to the bus when it stopped. Under such circumstances, it cannot be said that the deceased was guilty of
negligence.
The contention of petitioners that the driver and the conductor had no knowledge that the victim would ride on the bus, since the
latter had supposedly not manifested his intention to board the same, does not merit consideration. When the bus is not in motion
there is no necessity for a person who wants to ride the same to signal his intention to board. A public utility bus, once it stops, is
in effect making a continuous offer to bus riders. Hence, it becomes the duty of the driver and the conductor, every time the bus
stops, to do no act that would have the effect of increasing the peril to a passenger while he was attempting to board the same. The
premature acceleration of the bus in this case was a breach of such duty. 11
It is the duty of common carriers of passengers, including common carriers by railroad train, streetcar, or motorbus, to stop their
conveyances a reasonable length of time in order to afford passengers an opportunity to board and enter, and they are liable for
injuries suffered by boarding passengers resulting from the sudden starting up or jerking of their conveyances while they are doing
so. 12
Further, even assuming that the bus was moving, the act of the victim in boarding the same cannot be considered negligent under
the circumstances. As clearly explained in the testimony of the aforestated witness for petitioners, Virginia Abalos, th bus had
"just started" and "was still in slow motion" at the point where the victim had boarded and was on its platform. 13
It is not negligence per se, or as a matter of law, for one attempt to board a train or streetcar which is moving slowly. 14 An
ordinarily prudent person would have made the attempt board the moving conveyance under the same or similar circumstances.
The fact that passengers board and alight from slowly moving vehicle is a matter of common experience both the driver and
conductor in this case could not have been unaware of such an ordinary practice.
The victim herein, by stepping and standing on the platform of the bus, is already considered a passenger and is entitled all the
rights and protection pertaining to such a contractual relation. Hence, it has been held that the duty which the carrier passengers
owes to its patrons extends to persons boarding cars as well as to those alighting therefrom. 15
Common carriers, from the nature of their business and reasons of public policy, are bound to observe extraordina diligence for
the safety of the passengers transported by the according to all the circumstances of each case. 16 A common carrier is bound to
carry the passengers safely as far as human care and foresight can provide, using the utmost diligence very cautious persons, with
a due regard for all the circumstances. 17
It has also been repeatedly held that in an action based on a contract of carriage, the court need not make an express finding of
fault or negligence on the part of the carrier in order to hold it responsible to pay the damages sought by the passenger. By
contract of carriage, the carrier assumes the express obligation to transport the passenger to his destination safely and observe
extraordinary diligence with a due regard for all the circumstances, and any injury that might be suffered by the passenger is right
away attributable to the fault or negligence of the carrier. This is an exception to the general rule that negligence must be proved,
and it is therefore incumbent upon the carrier to prove that it has exercised extraordinary diligence as prescribed in Articles 1733
and 1755 of the Civil Code. 18
Moreover, the circumstances under which the driver and the conductor failed to bring the gravely injured victim immediately to
the hospital for medical treatment is a patent and incontrovertible proof of their negligence. It defies understanding and can even
be stigmatized as callous indifference. The evidence shows that after the accident the bus could have forthwith turned at Bunk 56
and thence to the hospital, but its driver instead opted to first proceed to Bunk 70 to allow a passenger to alight and to deliver a
refrigerator, despite the serious condition of the victim. The vacuous reason given by petitioners that it was the wife of the
deceased who caused the delay was tersely and correctly confuted by respondent court:
... The pretension of the appellees that the delay was due to the fact that they had to wait for about twenty minutes for Inocencia
Cudiamat to get dressed deserves scant consideration. It is rather scandalous and deplorable for a wife whose husband is at the
verge of dying to have the luxury of dressing herself up for about twenty minutes before attending to help her distressed and
helpless husband. 19
Further, it cannot be said that the main intention of petitioner Lardizabal in going to Bunk 70 was to inform the victim's family of
the mishap, since it was not said bus driver nor the conductor but the companion of the victim who informed his family
thereof. 20 In fact, it was only after the refrigerator was unloaded that one of the passengers thought of sending somebody to the
house of the victim, as shown by the testimony of Virginia Abalos again, to wit:
With respect to the award of damages, an oversight was, however, committed by respondent Court of Appeals in computing the
actual damages based on the gross income of the victim. The rule is that the amount recoverable by the heirs of a victim of a tort is
not the loss of the entire earnings, but rather the loss of that portion of the earnings which the beneficiary would have received. In
other words, only net earnings, not gross earnings, are to be considered, that is, the total of the earnings less expenses necessary in
the creation of such earnings or income and minus living and other incidental expenses. 22
We are of the opinion that the deductible living and other expense of the deceased may fairly and reasonably be fixed at P500.00 a
month or P6,000.00 a year. In adjudicating the actual or compensatory damages, respondent court found that the deceased was 48
years old, in good health with a remaining productive life expectancy of 12 years, and then earning P24,000.00 a year. Using the
gross annual income as the basis, and multiplying the same by 12 years, it accordingly awarded P288,000. Applying the
aforestated rule on computation based on the net earnings, said award must be, as it hereby is, rectified and reduced to
P216,000.00. However, in accordance with prevailing jurisprudence, the death indemnity is hereby increased to P50,000.00.