Damages Flashcards
To recover damages, the claimant must prove that he has…
…suffered loss or damage as a result of the defendant’s breach, and the loss or damage must not be too remote a consequence of the breach.
The rule at common law is that where a party sustains loss by reason of a breach of contract, he is so far as money can do it, to be placed…
….in the same situation with respect to damages as if the contract had been performed. Robinson v Harman (1848)
If the claimant is to be placed in the position he would have been in if the contract had been properly performed, he will generally be able to recover for the loss of the benefit which he would have obtained had the contract been properly performed. Damages assessed in this way are sometimes said to be worked out on a ** basis?
…an expectation loss basis as the claimant will be compensated for his lost expectation.
When working out the benefit which the claimant would have obtained from performance of the contract, the court will take into account the costs he would have incurred in order to obtain the benefit.
Expectation losses would include…
losses incurred from..
a) Defective goods
b) Poor service
c) Loss of profit
d) Loss of opportunity
What will the court award in respect of defective goods?
The court would award either the difference in value or the cost of cure.
This means that if goods are defective, the basic rule is that the amount of damages awarded will be the difference in value between the actual value of the goods and the value the goods would have had if they had not been defective.
What will the court award in respect of poor service?
With contracts for services, the basic rule is that the amount of damages awarded will be the cost of putting the work right, ie cost of cure.
However, the court would award the cost of cure for defective goods and the difference in value for defective services if reasonable to do so.
If the object of the contract was to afford pleasure, where the cost of reinstatement would be wholly disproportionate to the non-monetary loss suffered the court may award the claimant….
…a consumer surplus for disappointed expectations Ruxley Electronics and Construction v Forsyth [1996]
Addis v Gramophone Co Ltd established the general rule that in claims for breach of contract, the claimant cannot recover damages for…
…his injured feelings.
Reliance loss damages covers expenditure wasted as a result of the….
…breach of contract. Anglia Television v Reed [1972]
In order to claim for damages on either expectation loss or reliance loss the claimant must prove that he has…
…suffered loss due to the d’s breach (Omak Maritime Ltd v Mamola Challenger Shipping Co (The Mamola Challenger) [2010] )
You may obtain damages for various kinds of loss including
▪ loss of profit ▪ damage to property ▪ physical injury ▪ loss of opportunity, and ▪ mental distress and disappointment, but only in limited situations.
The court may award damages for a lost…
..opportunity.
Chaplin v Hicks [1911] 2 KB 786, the Daily Express ran a talent contest. The top 50 contestants had to attend an audition where 12 winners would be selected. The winners would be given theatrical engagements for three years. The claimant was one of the top 50, but the organisers failed to tell her the time and place of the audition. The Court of Appeal decided that the claimant was entitled to damages to compensate her for the loss of the chance of being one of the 12 winners.
A more modern example of a lost opportunity is the case of Blackpool and Fylde Aero Club v Blackpool Borough Council [1990] 1 WLR 1195, CA. Here the Court of Appeal held that the Council had a duty to consider all properly submitted tenders. The club had properly submitted its tender but it was not considered. The club had therefore lost the opportunity of being selected for the concession to run pleasure flights.
Damages will not normally be awarded for distress or disappointment (Addis v Gramophone Co Ltd [1909]) What is the exception?
Damages for distress and disappointment can be awarded where the contract is to provide pleasure, entertainment, enjoyment or peace of mind. Jarvis v Swans Tours [1973]
It is sufficient if this is an important object of the contract.
Farley v Skinner [2001] 3 WLR 899, HL
What are the three ways to limit damages?
Remoteness
Mitigation
Contributory Negligence
The remoteness rule in contract means that the loss must have been within the..
…reasonable contemplation of the parties at the time of the contract as the probable result of the breach. This was established by Hadley v Baxendale (1854).
If the defendants knew that the mill would be idle then it is likely the decision would have been different and the defendants would have been liable to pay damages. The defendants would have known of special circumstances to bring the loss within their contemplation.