7/25/2019 128. Mariano Mendoza and Elvira Lim v Spouses Leonora Gomez

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128. Mariano C. Mendoza and Elvira Lim vsSpouses Leonora and Gabriel Gomez

Topic: Liability o a re!istered o"ner o a ve#icle

$acts: %s a result o a ve#icular collision resultin! rom t#e driver&s

ne!li!ence' respondents suered p#ysical in(uries and t#e )suzu truc*

sustained e+tensive dama!es. ,ence' t#is case or dama!es.-espondents ar!ued t#at alt#ou!# t#e re!istered o"ner o t#e bus "as

Lim' t#e actual o"ner o t#e bus "as Cirilo Enriuez /Enriuez0' "#o

#ad t#e bus attac#ed "it# Mayamy Transportation Company /Mayamy

Transport0 under t#e socalled *abit system. -espondents t#en

impleaded bot# Lim and Enriuez.

)ssue: #o is liable3 #o is deemed as Mendoza&s /driver0 employer3 )s

it Enriuez' t#e actual o"ner o t#e bus or Lim' t#e re!istered o"ner o

t#e bus3

-ulin!:T#e re!istered o"ner is deemed t#e employer o t#e ne!li!ent driver'and is t#us vicariously liable under %rticle 2145' in relation to %rticle2186' o t#e Civil Code. T#e re!istered o"ner o t#e motor ve#icle is t#eemployer o t#e ne!li!ent driver' and t#e actual employer is consideredmerely as an a!ent o suc# o"ner. T#us' "#et#er t#ere is an employer7employee relations#ip bet"een t#e re!istered o"ner and t#e driver isirrelevant in determinin! t#e liability o t#e re!istered o"ner "#o t#ela" #olds primarily and directly responsible or any accident' in(ury ordeat# caused by t#e operation o t#e ve#icle in t#e streets and #i!#"ays

%s suc#' t#ere can be no ot#er conclusion but to #old Lim vicariouslyliable "it# Mendoza.

T#is does not mean' #o"ever' t#at Lim is let "it#out any recourse

a!ainst Enriuez and Mendoza. nder t#e civil la" principle o un(ust

enric#ment' t#e re!istered o"ner o t#e motor ve#icle #as a ri!#t to be

indemniied by t#e actual employer o t#e driver9 and under %rticle

2181 o t#e Civil Code' "#oever pays or t#e dama!e caused by #is

dependents or employees may recover rom t#e latter "#at #e #as paid

or delivered in satisaction o t#e claim.

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