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[No. 10073. December 24, 1915.]

BUTARO YAMADA, plaintiff and appellee, vs. THE

MANILA RAILROAD Co., defendant, and BACHRACH
GARAGE & TAXICAB Co., defendant and appellant.

[No. 10074. December 24, 1915.]

KENJIRO KARABAYASHI, plaintiff and appellee, vs. THE

MANILA RAILROAD Co., defendant, and BACHRACH
GARAGE & TAXICAB Co., defendant and appellant.

[No. 10075. December 24, 1915.]

TAKUTARU UYEHARA, plaintiff and appellee, vs. THE

MANILA RAILROAD Co., defendant, and BACHRACH
GARAGE & TAXICAB Co., defendant and appellant.

1. MASTER AND SERVANT; LIABILITY FOR INJURIES TO

THIRD PERSONS; DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRIVATE
INDIVIDUALS AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES.·The Civil
Code, in. dealing with the liability of a master for the
negligent acts of his servant, makes a distinction between
private individuals and public enterprises.

2. ID.; ID.; PRESUMPTION OF NEGLIGENCE OF MASTER.

·Where an injury is caused by the negligence of a servant
or employee of a public enterprise, there instantly arises a
presumption of law that there was negligence on the part of
the master or employer either in the selection of the servant
or employee or

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VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 9

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

in supervision over him after the selection, or both. But that

presumption may be rebutted.

3. ID.; ID.; ID.·If, in such a case, the employer shows to the

satisfaction of the court that in the selection of the employee
and in his supervision over him he has exercised the care
and diligence of a good father of a family, the presumption of
negligence on his part is overcome and he is relieved from
liability.

4. ID.; ID.; ID.·The Civil Code bases the responsibility of the

master in such cases ultimately on his own negligence and
not on that of his servant.

5. RAILROAD CROSSINGS; DUTY TO USE CARE.·It is the

duty of every person crossing a railroad to use ordinary care
and diligence to determine the proximity of a train before
attempting to cross.

6. NEGLIGENCE; GARAGE COMPANY; FAILURE TO

PROPERLY INSTRUCT DRIVERS CROSSING
RAILROADS.·A garage and taxicab company whose
business it is to let automobiles and taxicabs for hire and to
furnish drivers therefor is negligent where it appears that it
was the custom of the drivers, known to the officers of the
company, to pass over railroad crossings without any effort
to determine the proximity of a train, and the company
made no effort to change the custom or to instruct its
drivers to the effect that railroad crossings should not be
passed over without due diligence being observed to
determine the approach of trains.

7. ID.; ID.; RESPONSIBILITY OF COMPANY.·Where, under

such circumstances, one of the drivers of the said company,
conveying passengers in the company's machine, attempted
to pass over a railroad crossing without precaution or effort
to determine the proximity of a train, the automobile was
struck by a train and the passengers injured, the taxicab
company is responsible for the damages sustained by the

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passengers.

APPEAL from three judgments of the Court of First

Instance of Manila. Crossfield and Del Rosario, JJ.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the court.
D. R. Williams for appellant.
Rohde & Wright for appellees.

MORELAND, J.;

The three cases dealt with in this decision differ in their

facts only with respect to the injury suffered by the
respective plaintiffs. The law applicable to them is the
same and, at the request of counsel, they will be decided at
the

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Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

same time. Plaintiffs claim damages against both the

railroad and the garage company because of injuries
suffered by them in a collision between a train owned by
and operated over tracks belonging to the railroad company
and an automobile the property of the Bachrach Garage &
Taxicab Co.
On January 2, 1913, the plaintiffs, together with three
companions, hired an automobile f rom the def endant
taxicab company for a trip to Cavite Viejo. The automobile
was secured at a certain price per hour and was driven and
controlled by a chauffeur supplied by the taxicab company.
The journey to Cavite Viejo was made without incident but,
on the return trip, while crossing the tracks of defendant
railroad company in the barrio of San Juan, municipality of
Cavite Viejo, the automobile was struck by a train and the
plaintiffs injured.
The trial court dismissed the complaint on the merits as
to the Manila Railroad Company and held the defendant
taxicab company liable for damages to the plaintiffs in
various amounts. The taxicab company appealed.
It appears from the record, and was found by the trial

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court, that the driver of the automobile drove his machine

upon the railroad tracks without observing the precautions
which ordinary care and prudence would require, without
reducing speed and without taking any precaution looking
to determining whether there was danger f rom a train or
locomotive. The trial court accordingly found that the
driver was guilty of gross negligence and that said
negligence was the proximate cause of the accident. It also
found that the driver had been, in effect, instructed by the
taxicab company to approach and pass over railroad tracks
in the manner and form followed and observed on the
occasion in question, and that, for that reason, the taxicab
company was liable for the damages caused.
Several errors are assigned by the appellant. The first
one relates to the finding of the trial court: "That the driver
of the automobile did not slacken speed, which was fast,
upon approaching the railroad crossing, which was

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VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 11

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

clearly visible and had to be approached on an upward

grade, or take any other precaution to avert accident. * * *
and I can but conclude that the driver of the automobile
was grossly negligent and careless in not taking such
precaution as would have notified him of the coming of the
train. On the contrary, he proceeded with reckless speed
and regardless of possible or threatened danger. If he had
been driving the automobile at a proper rate of speed for
going over railroad crossings he could easily have stopped
before going over the railroad crossing after seeing the
train."
The argument of the appellant which is devoted to this
finding seems to admit impliedly at least that the driver of
the automobile maintained his rate of speed as he
approached and went upon the railroad crossing; and that
he took no precaution to ascertain the approach of a train,
The appellant contended on the trial and offered
evidence to prove that, on approaching the railroad
crossing from the direction in which the automobile was

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traveling at the time, the view of the railroad tracks in both

directions was obstructed by bushes and trees growing
alongside thereof, and that it was impossible for a person
approaching the crossing, even though on guard, to detect
by sight the approach of a train. If that were the case, it
was clearly the duty of the driver to reduce the speed of his
car and the noise thereof to such an extent that he would
be able to determine from the unrestricted and
uninterrupted use of all his f aculties whether or not a
train was near. It is the law that a person must use
ordinary care and prudence in passing over a railroad
crossing. While we are not prepared to lay down any
absolute rule as to what precise acts of precaution are
necessary to be done or left undone by a person who may
have need to pass over a railroad crossing, we may say that
it is always incumbent on him to me ordinary care and
diligence. What acts are necessary to constitute such care
and diligence must depend on the circumstances of each
particular case. The degree of care differs in different cases.
Greater care is necessary

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in crossing a road where the cars are running at a high rate

of speed and close together than where they are running at
less speed and remote f rom one another. But in every case
due care should be exercised. It is very possible that where,
on approaching a crossing, the view of the tracks in both
directions is unobstructed for such a distance as to render
it perfectly safe to pass over without the use of any other
faculty than sight, such use alone is sufficient and it is not
necessary to stop or even to slacken speed or listen. On the
other hand, where the view of the tracks is obstructed, then
it is a driver's duty to slacken speed, to reduce the noise, if
any, of the vehicle, to look and to listen, if necessary, or do
any other act necessary to determine that a train is not in
dangerous proximity to the crossing.
In the case at bar the appellant's own showing is to the
effect that the view of the track in the direction f rom which

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the train was coming was obstructed in such manner that

neither the track nor a train could be seen as a traveler
approached the crossing; and yet, in spite of that fact, the
chauffeur drove upon the tracks without investigation or
precaution of any kind. The very fact that a train was
approaching and was so near as to collide with the
automobile is strong evidence of the fact that no
precautions were taken to determine that fact. It is
undoubted that if the driver had taken the simplest means
of permitting his own faculties to exercise themselves
fairly, there would have been no accident, as the presence
of the train would have been discovered in an instant; but
he chose, rather, to give his senses no opportunity to
protect him or his passengers and drove on the track at full
speed with all the noise which an automobile produces at
such speed on an upgrade and the sense of hearing
impaired by the rush of the wind. Railroad trains rarely
pass over tracks without noise and their presence,
generally speaking, is easily detected by persons who take
ordinary precautions.
Under this assignment the appellant's main effort is
bent to the demonstration of the fact that there was a
custom established among automobile drivers of Manila by
which

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VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 13

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

they habitually drove their cars over railroad crossings in

the manner in which the automobile was driven by
defendant's servant on the occasion in controversy. To prove
that custom counsel presents the evidence of the president
of the defendant company, Mr. Bachrach, who testified on
the trial that all of his drivers, including the one in charge
of the car on the night of the accident, operated cars in that
manner and that it was the custom among automobile
drivers generally. Counsel also cites the testimony of the
witness Palido, living near the scene of the accident, who
testified that, as a general rule, automobiles passed over
the railroad crossing without changing speed. This

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testimony was corroborated by the defendant company's

driver who had the automobile in charge at the time of the
occurrence. Basing himself on this alleged custom counsel
contends that "When a person does what is usual and
customary, i. e., proceeds as he and others engaged in a like
occupation have been accustomed to proceed, the action
cannot be characterized as reckless, nor, strictly speaking,
as negligent." To this the obvious reply may be made, for
the moment admitting the existence of the custom, that a
practice which is dangerous to human life cannot ripen into
a custom which will protect anyone who f ollows it. To go
upon a railroad crossing without making any effort to
ascertain the approach of a train is so hazardous an act
and one so dangerous to lif e, that no one may be permitted
to excuse himself who does it, provided injury results, One
who performs an act so inherently dangerous cannot, when
an accident occurs, take ref uge behind the plea that others
have performed the same act saf ely.
Under the second error assigned, the appellant contends
with much vigor that the plaintiffs cannot recover for the
reason that the negligence of the driver of the automobile,
if any, was imputable to them, they having permitted the
driver to approach and pass over the railroad crossing
without the use of ordinary care and diligence to determine
the proximity of a train or locomotive, and having made no
effort to caution or instruct him or compel him to take

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Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

reasonable care in making the crossing. With this

contention we cannot agree. We think the better rule, and
one more consonant with the weight of authority, is that a
person who hires a public automobile and gives the driver
directions as to the place to which he wishes to be
conveyed, but exercises no other control over the conduct of
the driver, is not responsible for acts of negligence of the
latter or prevented from recovering for injuries suffered
from a collision between the automobile and a train, caused
by the negligence either of the locomotive engineer or the

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automobile driver. (Little vs. Hackett, 116 U. S., 366.) The

theory on which the negligence of the driver has in some
instances been imputed to the occupant of the vehicle is
that, having trusted the driver by selecting the particular
conveyance, the plaintiff so far identified himself with the
owner and his servants that, in case of injury resulting
from their negligence, he was considered a party thereto.
This was the theory upon which the case of Thorogood vs.
Bryan (8 C. B., 115) was decided, which is the leading case
in favor of the principle contended for by appellant. The
Supreme Court of the United States, however, in Little vs.
Hackett (116 U. S., 366), had this to say concerning the
ground on which the Thorogood case was decided: "The
truth is, the decision in Thorogood vs. Bryan rests upon
indefensible ground. The identification of the passenger
with the negligent driver or the owner, without his
personal cooperation or encouragement, is a gratuitous
assumption. There is no such identity. The parties are not
in the same position. The owner of a public conveyance is a
carrier, and the driver or the person managing it is' his
servant. Neither of them is the servant of the passenger,
and his asserted identity with them is contradicted by the
daily experience of the world."
Further discussing the same question the court said:

"There is no distinction in principle whether the passengers be on a

public conveyance like a railroad train or an omnibus, or be on a
hack hired from a public stand in the street for a drive. Those on a
hack do not become responsible for the

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VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 15

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

negligence of the driver if they exercise no control over him further

than to indicate the route they wish to travel or the places to which
they wish to go. If he is their agent so that his negligence can be
imputed to them to prevent their recovery against a third party, he
must be their agent in all other respects, so far as the management
of the carriage is concerned, and responsibility to third parties
would attach to them for injuries caused by his negligence in the

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course of his employment. But, as we have already stated,

responsibility cannot, within any recognized rules of law, be
fastened upon one who has in no way interfered with and controlled
in the matter causing the Injury. From the simple fact of hiring the
carriage or riding in it no such liability can arise. The party hiring
or riding must in some way have cooperated in producing the injury
complained of before he incurs any liability for it. 'lf the law were
otherwise,' as said by Mr. Justice Depue in his elaborate opinion in
the latest case in New Jersey, 'not only the hirer of the coach but
also all the passengers in it would be under a constraint to mount
the box and superintend the conduct of the driver in the
management and control of his team, or be put for remedy
exclusively to an action against the irresponsible driver or equally
irresponsible owner of a coach taken, it may be, from a coach stand,
for the consequences of an injury which was the product of the
cooperating wrongful acts of the driver and of a third person, and
that, too, though the passengers were ignorant of the character of
the driver, and of the responsibility of the owner of the team, and
strangers to the route over which they were to be carried/ (New
York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad vs. Steinbrenner, 47 N. J. L.
[18 Vroom], 161, 171.)"

We are of the opinion, therefore, that the rule is as we have

stated it. Ordinarily where one rides in a public vehicle
with the driver thereof and is injured by the negligence of a
third person, to which negligence that of the driver
contributes, his contributory negligence is not imputable to
the passenger unless said passenger has or is in the
position to have and exercise some control over the

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Yamada vs. Manila, Railroad Co.

driver with reference to the matter wherein he was

negligent, Whether the person injured exercises any control
over the conduct of the driver further than to indicate the
place to which he wishes to drive is a question of fact to be
determined by the trial court on all of the evidence in the
case. (Duval vs. Railroad Co., 134 N. C., 331; Hampel vs.
Detroit etc. R. R. Co., 110 Am. St. Rep., 275; Cotton vs.

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Willmar etc. R. R. Co., 99 Minn., 366; Shultz vs. Old Colony

Street Ry. Co., 193 Mass., 309; Wilson vs. Puget Sound
Elec. Ry., 52 Wash., 522; Johnson vs. Coey, 237 Ill., 88;
Hinds vs. Steere, 209 Mass., 442.)
The appellant assigns as the third error the finding of
the trial court "that the defendant Manila Railroad
Company was not guilty of negligence which contributed to
the causing of the accident complained of."
In this connection it appears that, prior to the beginning
of the action now before us, two actions were instituted,
both growing out of the accident which forms the basis of
the actions before us: (1) A criminal action against the
engineer of the train, in which the engineer was acquitted;
and (2) a civil action for damages by the garage and taxicab
company, the appellant herein, against the defendant
railroad company, for damages to the automobile which
was destroyed as a result of the accident, in which
judgment was for defendant. There is evidence in the
record showing that the locomotive engineer gave due and
timely signals on approaching the crossing in question. The
trial court found that the employees of the railroad
company fully performed their duty as the train
approached the crossing on the night in question and that,
therefore, the railroad company in nowise contributed to
the accident. We do not believe that the record will justify
us in a reversal of this finding. There is abundant evidence
to support it and we have nothing before us by which that
evidence may be impeached. That the bell was rung and
the whistle was blown on nearing the crossing, giving due
and timely warning to all persons approaching, was
testified to not only by servants of the corporation but by
passengers on the train. We find nothing

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Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

in the record which materially impairs the credibility of

these witnesses or to show that their evidence is
improbable or unreasonable; and we would be going far
under such circumstances in discarding it and reversing a

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judgment based thereon.

The appellant under this assignment of error presents
other facts which he claims show necessarily that the com-
pany was negligent. He asserts: "(1) That this accident
occurred in the heart of the barrio of San Juan (Cavite
Viejo), within approximately one hundred meters of the
railroad station, that is, in a populous community; (2) that
the railroad company did not maintain either a flagman or
protecting gates at the grade crossing where the accident
occurred, while the sign "Railroad Crossing" was broken on
the side toward the road; (3) that trees and undergrowth
had been permitted to grow on and adjoining the right of
way, and houses were constructed thereon, in such manner
as to obstruct the view of persons approaching the railroad
track until within a few meters thereof; and (4) that the
approach to the crossing is twisting, and on either side
thereof are ditches about two meters deep."
With respect to the existence of trees and undergrowth
on the railroad company's right of way, the evidence is
conflicting, plaintiff maintaining and attempting to prove
that such trees and undergrowth existed, while defendant
company contended and offered evidence to show that no
such growth existed at the time of the accident, On this
conflict of evidence the trial court found: "Evidence on the
part of the defendant Bachrach Garage & Taxicab Co. is to
the effect that the view from the crossing along the track
towards Manila was obstructed by bushes growing on the
railroad right of way along the track, while the
preponderance of the evidence discloses that for a distance
of twelve or fifteen meters from the crossing a view of the
track for a considerable distance is wholly unobstructed,
and I can but conclude that the driver of the automobile
was grossly negligent and careless in not taking such
precaution as would have notified him of the coming of the
train. On the con-

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trary, he proceeded with reckless speed and regardless of

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possible or threatened danger."

Here again we are met with a contradiction in the
evidence of witnesses who, so far as appears, are equally
entitled to credit, which conflict has been resolved by the
trial court in favor of the witnesses for the defendant
railroad company. Counsel for appellant has failed to give
any reason why we should accept the testimony of
appellant's witnesses rather than those of the railroad
company and he has also neglected to point out any error
committed by the trial court in making its finding in this
regard. A careful examination of the record discloses no
reason why the judgment of the trial court on this point
should be disturbed, there appearing nothing on which we
could base a judgment declaring that the trial court erred
in making its decision.
As to the other facts set forth on which appellant
predicates negligence on the part of the railroad company,
we find them, even if admitted, to be insufficient to
establish negligence. It is not negligence on the part of the
railroad company to maintain grade crossings, even in
populous districts.; nor is it negligence not to maintain a
flagman at such crossings. It is true that a railroad
company is held to greater caution in the more thronged
streets of the densely populated portions of the city than in
the less frequented streets in suburban parts or in towns;
but this does not mean that it is negligence to maintain
grade crossings in such densely populated portions or that
it is negligent not to maintain a flagman at crossings
located in such districts. It simply means that the company
in operating its trains over such crossings must exercise
care commensurate with the use of crossings in any given
locality.
The main contention of the appellant is based on the
claim that, even admitting as proved all of the facts alleged
by the plaintiff s, the appellant is not liable. It is
maintained that up to the time the accident occurred the
defendant taxicab company had fully performed its duty to
the public, it being undisputed in the record that the driver
was competent and had a long and satisfactory record,
having driven

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Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

cars for the defendant for 5 or 6 years without accident or

misadventure, and that his negligence, if any, in
attempting to pass over the crossing on the occasion before
us, cannot legally be imputed to the taxicab company so as
to make it liable for the damages resulting therefrom. In
support of this argument the case of Johnson vs. David (5
Phil. Rep., 663), is cited as determinative of the question
under consideration. The appellant, however, having
denied the fact of negligence, we might, before entering on
a discussion of the applicability of the principles
enunciated in Johnson vs. David to the facts before us,
repeat what we have already said, that it appears from the
record, and was found by the trial court, that the driver of
the automobile drove his machine upon the railroad tracks
without observing the precautions which ordinary care and
prudence would have required. He made substantially no
effort toward ascertaining whether there was. danger from
a train or locomotive. The trial court f ound, as was quite
necessary under the facts, that the driver was guilty of
gross negligence and that such negligence was the
proximate cause of the accident. It also found that the
taxicab company had permitted its drivers to approach and
pass over railroad tracks in the manner and form followed
and observed on the occasion in question until it had
become a custom among its drivers, known and sanctioned
by the company; and that, for that reason, the taxicab
company was liable for the damages caused. We are of the
opinion that the trial court is fully supported in the finding
that the conduct of the officials of the taxicab company, and
notably the president thereof, amounted, in law, to a
sanction of the custom established among its automobile
drivers in passing over railroad crossings. Counsel is met,
therefore, at the opening of his discussion on this branch of
the case, with the question: Did the defendant taxicab
company fully discharge its duty when it furnished a
suitable and proper car and selected a driver who had been
with the company for 5 or 6 years and who had not had an
accident or misadventure before? We think not. It was the
duty of the company not only

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to furnish a suitable and proper car and select a competent

operator, but also to supervise and, where necessary,
instruct him properly.
Returning now to the applicability of the case of Johnson
vs. David to the facts before us:
The Civil Code, in dealing with the liability of a master
for the negligent acts of his servant, makes a distinction
between private individuals and public enterprises. (Art.
1903, Civil Code.) That article, together with the preceding
article, is as follows:

"ART. 1902. A person who by an act or omission causes damage to

another when there is fault or negligence shall be obliged to repair
the damage so done.
"ART. 1903. The obligation imposed by the preceding article is
demandable, not only for personal acts and omissions, but also for
those of the persons for whom they should be responsible. '
"The father, and on his death or incapacity the mother, is liable
for the damages caused by the minors who live with them.
"Guardians are liable for the damages caused by minors or
incapacitated persons who are under their authority and live with
them.
"Owners or directors of an establisment or enterprise are equally
liable f or the damages caused by their employees in the service of
the branches in which the latter may be employed or on account of
their duties.
"The State is liable in this sense when it acts through a special
agent, but not when the damage should have been caused by the
official to whom properly it pertained to do the act performed, in
which case the provisions of the preceding article shall be
applicable.
"Finally, masters or directors of arts and trades are liable for the
damages caused by their pupils or apprentices while they are under
their custody.
"The liability referred to in this article shall cease when the
persons mentioned therein prove that they employed

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Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

all the diligence of a good father of a family to avoid the damage."

These two articles are found under chapter 2, title 16, of

the Civil Code, dealing with "obligations which arise from
fault or negligence;" and set out the cases, generally
speaking, in which the master is liable for the acts of his
servant. That chapter also contains articles providing f or
liability for negligent acts of servants in special cases,
among them 1905, which provides that "the possessor of an
animal, or the one who uses it, is liable for the damages it
may cause, even when said animal escapes from him or
strays," but that this liability shall cease "in case the
damage should arise from force majeure or from the fault of
the person who may have suffered it;" 1906, which declares
that "the owner of a game preserve shall be liable for
damages caused by the game to neighboring estates, should
he not have done what may have been necessary to avoid
increase of the same or should he have hindered the efforts
of the owners of said estates to hunt;" 1907, which provides
for the liability of the owner of a building "for , damages
which may result from the collapse of the whole or a part
thereof, if it should occur through the absence of necessary
repairs;" 1908, which states that "owners shall be liable for
damages caused by the explosion of machines which may
not have been cared for with due diligence,- and for
kindling of explosive substances, which may not have been
placed in a safe and proper place;" "by excessive smoke,
which may be noxious to persons or property;" "by the fall
of trees, located in places of transit, when not caused by
force majeure;" "by the emanations of sewers or deposits of
inf ectious matters, when constructed without precautions
proper for the place where they are located;" and "the head
of a family who dwells in a house, or in a part of the same,
is liable for the damages by the things which may be
thrown or which may fall therefrom."
These are the only cases under the Civil Code in which
damages may be recovered from the master for the negli-

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22 PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

gent acts of his servant. As is seen from a reading of article

1903, a person being driven about by his servant is not
liable for injuries done to others by the servant's negligent
acts except under certain circumstances. (Chapman vs.
Underwood, 27 Phil. Rep., 374; Johnson vs. David, supra.)
On the other hand, the master is liable for the negligent
acts of his servant where he is the owner or director of a
business or enterprise and the negligent acts are
committed while the servant is engaged in his master's
employment as such owner.
The distinction made in the Code has been observed, as
would naturally be expected, by the decisions of this court.
In the case of Johnson vs. David, supra, we held that the
def endant was not liable f or the acts of his servant in
negligently driving a horse and carriage against plaintiff,
who was at the time riding a bicycle in the streets of
Manila, throwing him to the ground and injuring him and
his bicycle. It appeared in that case that the vehicle was
owned by the defendant, that it was being driven by the
defendant's coachman on the private affairs of the owner,
that it was not a public conveyance driven for hire or as a
part of a business or enterprise. In that case we said: "It
would seem, from an examination of these various
provisions, that the obligation to respond for the negligent
acts of another was limited to the particular cases
mentioned; in other words, we are of the opinion and so
hold that it was the intention of the legislature in enacting
said chapter 2 to enumerate all the persons for whose
negligent acts third persons are responsible. Article 1902
provides when a person himself is liable for negligence.
Articles 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1910
provide when a person shall be liable for injuries caused,
not by his own negligence but by the negligence of other
persons or things.

* * * * * * *
These sections do not include a liability on the part of the

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plaintiff for injuries resulting from acts of negligence such as are

complained of in the present cause * * *."

The case of Chapman vs. Underwood (27 Phil. Rep., 374)

23

VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 23

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

was similar in its facts and the principles governing it, to

that of Johnson vs. David. In that case the plaintiff, while
about to board a street car, was struck by an automobile
which, at the time, was being driven on the wrong side of
the street. The automobile was in charge of the servant of
the owner, who was present in the automobile at the time
the accident occurred. The automobile was not a part of
defendant's business nor was it being used at the time as a
part or adjunct of any business or enterprise owned or
conducted by him. Although the act of the driver was
negligent, and was so declared by this court, it was,
nevertheless, held that the master was not liable for the
results of the act. We said:

"The defendant, however, is not responsible for the negligence of his

driver, under the facts and circumstances of this case. As we have
said in the case of Johnson vs. David (5 Phil. Rep., 663), the driver
does not fall within the list of persons in article 1903 of the Civil
Code for whose acts the defendant would be responsible.
"Although in the David case the owner of the vehicle was not
present at the time the alleged negligent acts were committed by
the driver, the same rule applies where the owner is present, unless
the negligent acts of the driver are continued for such a length of
time as to give the owner a reasonable opportunity to observe them
and to direct his driver to desist theref rom. An owner who sits in
his automobile, or other vehicle, and permits his driver to continue
in a violation of the law by the performance of negligent acts, after
he has had a reasonable opportunity to observe them and to direct
that the driver desist, becomes himself responsible for such acts.
The owner of an automobile who permits his chauffeur to drive up
the Escolta, for example, at a speed of 60 miles an hour, without
any effort to stop him, although he has had a reasonable

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opportunity to do so, becomes himself responsible, both criminally

and civilly, for the results produced by the acts of his chauffeur. On
the other hand, if the driver, by a sudden act of negligence, and
without the owner having a reasonable oppor-

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24 PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

tunity to prevent the act or its continuance, injures a person or

violates the criminal law, the owner of the automobile, although
present therein at the time the act was committed, is not
responsible, either civilly or criminally, therefor. The act complained
of must be continued in the presence of the owner for such a length
of time that the owner, by his acquiescence, makes his driver's act
his own.
"In the case before us it does not appear from the record that,
from the time the automobile took the wrong side of the road to the
commission of the injury, sufficient time intervened to afford the
defendant an opportunity to correct the act of his driver. Instead, it
appears with fair clearness that the interval between the turning
out to meet and pass the street car and the happening of the
accident was so short as not to be sufficient to charge defendant
with the negligence of the driver."

The case of Bahia vs. Litonjua and Leynes (30 Phil. Rep.,
624), was a case of a different character. There an
automobile was being operated by the defendant as a public
vehicle carrying passengers from Balayan to Tuy (Province
of Batangas) and return for hire. On one of the trips, the
machine, by reason of a defect in the steering gear, refused
to respond to the guidance of the driver and, as a result, a
child was run over and killed. That case, as is seen at a
glance, is quite different from the case of Johnson vs. David
and that of Chapman vs. Underwood, in that the
automobile was operated as a business or enterprise on
which the def endant had entered f or gain; and this is the
particular distinction which is made in article 1903 of the
Civil Code which holds the master responsible for the
negligent acts of the servant when the master is the owner
"of an establishment or enterprise," and the acts

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complained of are committed within the scope of the

servant's employment in such business. In the case under
discussion we held that, in addition to the requirement to
furnish and use proper and safe machines, it was the duty
of a person or corporation operating automobiles for hire to
exercise ordinary care and diligence in the selection of the
drivers

25

VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 25

Yamada vs. Manila, Railroad Co.

of his or its automobiles and in supervision over them while

in his or its employ, including the promulgation of proper
rules and regulations and the formulation and due
publication of proper instructions for their guidance in
cases where such rules, regulations and instructions are
necessary. Discussing article 1903 of the Civil Code, which,
as we have seen, not only establishes liability in cases of
negligence but also provides when that liability ceases, the
court in that case said:

"From this article two things are apparent: (1) That when an injury
is caused by the negligence of a servant or employee there instantly
arises a presumption of law that there was negligence on the part of
the master or employer either in the selection of the servant or
employee or in supervision over him after the selection, or both; and
(2) that that presumption is juris tantum and not juris et de jure,
and consequently may be rebutted. It follows necessarily that if the
employer shows to the satisfaction of the court that in selection and
supervision he has exercised the care and diligence of a good father
of a family, the presumption is overcome and he is relieved from
liability.
"This theory bases the responsibility of the master ultimately on
his own negligence and not on that of his servant. This is the
notable peculiarity of the Spanish law of negligence. It is, of course,
in striking contrast to the American doctrine that, in relations with
strangers, the negligence of the servant is conclusively the
negligence of the master.
"In the case before us the death of the child caused by a defect in
the steering gear of the automobile immediately raised the

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presumption that Leynes was negligent in selecting a defective

automobile or in his failure to maintain it in good condition after
selection and the burden of proof was on him to show that he had
exercised the care of a good father of a family."

In that case we further said: "From the commencement of

the use of the machine until the accident occurred
sufficient time had not elapsed to require an examination
of

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26 PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Yamada, vs. Manila Railroad Co.

the machine by the def endant as a part of his duty of

inspection and supervision, While it does not appear that
the defendant formulated rules and regulations for the
guidance of the drivers and gave them proper instructions,
designed for the protection of the public and the
passengers, the evidence shows, as we have seen, that the
death of the child was not caused by a failure to
promulgate rules and regulations. It was caused by a defect
in the machine as to which the defendant has shown
himself free from responsibility."
We, therefore, see that the taxicab company did not
perform its full duty when it furnished a safe and proper
car and a driver with a long and satisfactory record. It
failed to comply with one of the essential requirements of
the law of negligence in this jurisdiction, that of
supervision and instruction, including the promulgation of
proper rules and regulations and the formulation and
publication of proper instructions for their guidance in
cases where such rules and regulations and instructions
are necessary. To repeat, it was found by the trial court,
and that finding is fully sustained by the record, that it
was the custom of the driver who operated the machine on
the night of the accident, to approach and pass over
railroad crossings without adequate precautions, and that
such custom was known to and had been sanctioned by the
officials of the taxicab company, the president of the
company testifying that none of its drivers, especially the

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one who operated the car on the night of the accident, were
accustomed to stop or even reduce speed or take any other
precaution in approaching and passing over railroad
crossings, no matter of what nature, unless they heard "the
signal of a car." He testified that he himself had ridden
behind several of his drivers, among them the one who
handled the automobile on the night of the accident, and
that it was their settled practice, to which. he made no
objection and as to which he gave no instructions, to
approach and pass over railroad crossings without any
effort to ascertain the proximity of a train. These facts and
circumstances bring the case within the doctrine
enunciated

27

VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 27

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

in the Litonjua case to which reference has already been

made, and, at the same time, remove it from that class of
cases governed by Johnson vs. David. Not only has the
defendant taxicab company failed to rebut the presumption
of negligence arising from the carelessness of its servant,
but it has, in effect, made those negligent acts its own by
having observed and known the custom of its drivers
without disapproving it and without issuing instructions
designed to supersede it.
We are of the opinion that the trial court erred in fixing
the amount of damages which the plaintiff s suff ered.
Under the law, each of the plaintiffs is entitled to recover
the damages which he actually suffered, consisting in loss
of time, doctors' bills and hospital bills and medicines, and
any other item of expense which it was found necessary to
undergo by reason of the damages sustained.
The plaintiff Butaro Yamada is entitled to be reimbursed
for his hospital bill of P49, for the P50 which he paid to Dr.
Strahan, and for the loss of time which he suffered at the
rate of P100 a month. The trial court allowed him for
certain alleged fees of doctors and expenses in hospitals
and at hot springs in Japan. He was also allowed P150
alleged by him to have been paid to a Japanese doctor in

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Manila. We do not believe that the record warrants these

allowances. As to the expenses in Japan, we may say that
the injury occurred to plaintiff on the 2d of January and he
remained in Manila for nearly 6 months before going to
Japan. According to the testimony of Dr. Strahan the
plaintiff was in good physical condition long before he left
this country for Japan. His testimony is to the effect that
the plaintiff. suffered no permanent injuries, the damage
being limited to temporary shocks and bruises, and that he
would be ready for his usual occupation in about 3 months.
According to plaintiff's own testimony he went back to work
2 months after the injury, but, claiming he still felt pains,
went to Japan. We do not believe that we ought to accept
the plaintiff's bare statement as to his physical condition
after leaving the Philippine Islands in defiance of the
testimony

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28 PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Yamada vs. Manila, Railroad Co.

of Dr. Strahan as to his physical condition 3 months after

the injury was received and particularly in view of the fact
that he returned to work at the end of 2 months. As to the
P150 alleged to have been paid to a Japanese doctor in
Manila, we have grave doubts whether he has sufficiently
proved that item of expenditure. He does not give the name
of the physician to whom he paid the money and he
presents no receipt or voucher from the person whom he
paid. He made no memorandum of the payment at the time
or of the name of the person to whom he paid it or of the
date on which it was paid. All of his testimony relating to
the items which constitute his damage was based on a
memorandum made from memory on the morning of the
trial. It seems to us that where the sources of knowledge
are to so large an extent within the knowledge and control
of the person who presents the evidence, he should be held
rather strictly to presenting the best evidence that the
circumstances permit. If he had offered the Japanese
doctor as a witness or if he had even produced receipts from
him, the matter would have borne quite a different aspect.

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We are accordingly of the opinion that the judgment in

favor of this plaintiff should consist simply of the loss of
time, amounting to 2 months at P100 a month, his hospital
bill of P49 and his doctor's bill of P50, in all P299, with
costs.
With respect to the plaintiff Takutaru Uyehara, the
judgment in his f avor must also be modified. Concerning
his condition we have substantially the same testimony by
the same doctor that we had in the case of Yamada. There
were no permanent injuries. The plaintiff suffered merely
from shock and bruises. He was quite recovered in 3
months. It appears that he was earning P200 a month at
the time of his injury and that his hospital expense,
including attendance of a physician, was P350. We are
satisfied from the record that he is entitled to P600 for 3
months' loss of wages and to P350 for hospital expenses

29

VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 29

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

and medical attendance. As to the claim for P150 paid to a

Japanese doctor, we have in substance the same
circumstances f ound in connection with the claim of the"
plaintiff Yamada,·no name, no date, no memorandum, no
receipt; nothing but the testimony of the plaintiff himself
based upon data prepared from memory. It is worthy of
note also that both this plaintiff and plaintiff Yamada claim
to have paid exactly the same amount to Japanese doctors
in Manila,
Judgment is hereby rendered in favor of the plaintiff
Takutaru Uyehara for the sum of P950, and costs.
With respect to the judgment in favor of the plaintiff
Kenjiro Karabayashi, we are clear that it must be reduced
in amount. This plaintiff was able, immediately after the
accident occurred, to move about readily and to assist his
injured companions, He did not go to a hospital, or, so far
as appears, consult a physician until some time after the
accident He alleges that he paid to Japanese doctors P310
and to massage doctors P130, and that he paid P365 for
medicines. The injury was received on the 2d of January,

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1913, and this action was commenced in October of the

same year. It seems to us incredible that the plaintiff, who
suffered and suffers from no physical injury testified to by
any physician, should have paid out during that time more
than P800 f or medicines and doctors. That sum exceeds
the sums claimed to have been paid out by the other
plaintiffs, who were so badly injured that they were carried
in a semiconscious condition to the hospital and were
unable to move without assistance for some days.
This plaintiff complains of loss of memory as the only
result of his injuries and claims that he is unable to obtain
a salary equivalent to that which he was receiving before
the accident. He presents no evidence of such loss of
memory except his own statement, his physical condition at
the time of the trial being apparently perfect and there
being at that time no evidence, as he himself admitted, of
loss of memory. He presented no doctor to testify as to

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30 PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Yamada vs. Manila Railroad Co.

services rendered, indeed, he does not even furnish the

name of the person to whom the money was paid, and he
shows no receipts and produces no evidence except his own
statement with respect to the amount .paid out for
medicines. We believe that, under this testimony, no
damages should be allowed to this plaintiff except possibly
salary for the short period during which, by reason of
shock, he may have been unable to render active service.
He testified that he lost two and one-half months' time,
during which he did not work at all, and that his services
were worth P160 a month.
The judgment of the Court of First Instance with respect
to this plaintiff, Kenjiro Karabayashi, is modified and
judgment in his favor and against the Bachrach Garage &
Taxicab Co. for P400 is hereby decreed, with costs.
It may be urged that the reductions in the amounts
allowed the several plaintiff s by the trial court are
arbitrary, the evidence as to the damages sustained being
uncontradicted and the trial court having accepted it as

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true and having based its judgment thereon. It is clear,

however, that we are in no way interfering with the rule so
many times laid down by this court that we will not
interfere with the judgment of the trial court as to the
credibility of witnesses except where it appears that the
court overlooked or misapplied facts or circumstances of
weight and influence appearing in the case. Here the trial
court seems to have overlooked those facts and
circumstances to which we have adverted and which we
have made the basis of the modification. It nowhere
appears in the decision of the trial court or elsewhere in the
record that it took any of those facts and circumstances
into consideration. So ordered.

Arellano, C. J., Torres, Carson, and Araullo, JJ.,

concur.
Johnson, J., concurs in the result.
Trent, J., did not sit in the case.

Judgments modified.

31

VOL. 33, DECEMBER 24, 1915. 31

Estrada vs. Reyes.

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