7/24/2019 Republic v Luzon Stevedoring

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REPUBLIC v. LUZON STEVEDORING, 9/29/67, REYES

Facts: In the early afternoon of August 17, 1960, barge L-1892, owne by the Lu!on "te#eor$ng%or&orat$on was be$ng towe own the 'as$g ($#er when the barge ra))e aga$nst one of the

wooen &$les of the *agtahan +a$ley +r$ge, s)ash$ng the &osts an caus$ng the br$ge to l$st

he (e&ubl$c of the 'h$l$&&$nes sue Lu!on "te#eor$ng %or&orat$on for actual an

conse.uent$al a)age cause by $ts e)&loyees, a)ount$ng to '200,000 he efenant,

howe#er, $scla$)e l$ab$l$ty on the grouns that $t ha e/erc$se ue $l$gence $n the select$on

an su&er#$s$on of $ts e)&loyees that the a)ages to the br$ge were cause by force majeure

that &la$nt$ff has no ca&ac$ty to sue an that the *agtahan +a$ley +r$ge $s an obstruct$on to

na#$gat$on After ue tr$al, the court renere ug)ent on une 11, 1963, hol$ng the efenant

l$able for the a)age cause by $ts e)&loyees an orer$ng $t to &ay to &la$nt$ff the actual cost of

the re&a$r of the *agtahan ba$ley br$ge wh$ch a)ounte to '192,46172, w$th legal $nterest

thereon fro) the ate of the f$l$ng of the co)&la$nt

Issue: 5hether or not the coll$s$on of a&&ellants barge w$th the su&&orts or &$ers of the *agtahan

+r$ge was $n law cause by fortu$tous e#ent orforce majeure.

(ul$ng: *o For caso fortuito or force majeureby ef$n$t$on, are e/traor$nary e#ents not

foreseeable or a#o$able It $s, therefore, not enough that the e#ent shoul not ha#e been foreseen

or ant$c$&ate, as $s co))only bel$e#e, but $t )ust be one $)&oss$ble to foresee or to a#o$ he

)ere difficulty to foresee the ha&&en$ng $s not $)&oss$b$l$ty to foresee he #ery )easures

ao&te by a&&ellant &ro#e that the &oss$b$l$ty of anger was not only foreseeable, but actually

foreseen, an was not caso fortuito