KIND OF DAMAGES

Remedy by way of Damages or Kind of Damages

Remedy by way of damages is the most common remedy available to the injured party. This entitles the injured party to recover compensation for the loss suuered by it due to the breach of contract, from the party who causes the breach. Section 73 to 75 of the Contract Act incorporate the provisions in this regard. The damages which may be awarded to the injured party may be of the following kinds:

(i) Ordinary damages: When a contract has been broken, the party who suuers by such breach is entitled to receive, from the party who has broken the contract, compensation for any loss or damage cause to him thereby, which naturally arose in the usual course of things from such breach, or which the parties know, when they made the contract, to be likely to result from the breach of it:

Such compensation is not to be given for any remote and indirect loss or damage sustained by reasons of the breach. (Section 73 of the Contract Act and the rule in Hadley vs. Baxendale).

HADLEY vs. BAXENDALE- Facts

The crankshaft of P’s flour mill had broken. He gives it to D, a common carrier who promised to deliver it to the foundry in 2 days where the new shaft was to be made. The mill stopped working, D delayed the delivery of the crankshaft so the mill remained idle for another 5 days. P received the repaired crankshaft 7 days later than he would have otherwise received. Consequently, P sued D for damages not only for the delay in the delivering the broken part but also for loss of profits suuered by the mill for not having been worked. The count held that P was entitled only to ordinary damages and D was not liable for the loss of profits because the only information given by P to D was that the article to be carried was the broken shaft of a mill and it was not made known to them that the delay would result in loss of profits.

Example: A agrees to sell to B bags of rice at ` 5,000 per bag, delivery to be given after two months. On the date of delivery, the price of rice goes up to ` 5,500 per bag. A refuses to deliver the bags to B. B can claim from A ` 500 as ordinary damages arising directly from the breach.

(ii) Special damages: Where a party to a contract receives a notice of special circumstances auecting the contract, he will be liable not only for damages arising naturally and directly from the breach but also for special damages.

Example: ‘A’ delivered a machine to ‘B’, a common carrier, to be conveyed to ‘A’s mill without delay. ‘A’ also informed ‘B’ that his mill was stopped for want of the machine. ‘B’ unreasonably delayed the delivery of the machine, and in consequence ‘A’ lost a profitable contract with the Government. In this case, ‘A’ is entitled to receive from ‘B’, by way of compensation, the average amount of profit, which would have been made by running the mill during the period of delay. But he cannot recover the loss sustained due to the loss of the Government contract, as ‘A’s contract with the Government was not brought to the notice of ‘B’. 

(iii) Vindictive or Exemplary damages
These damages may be awarded only in two cases -

(a) for breach of promise to marry because it causes injury to his or her feelings; and

(b) for wrongful dishonour by a banker of his customer’s cheque because in this case the injury due to wrongful dishonour to the drawer of cheque is so heavy that it causes loss of credit and reputation to him. A business man whose credit has suuered will get exemplary damages even if he has sustained no pecuniary loss. But a non-trader cannot get heavy damages in the like circumstances, unless the damages are alleged and proved as special damages. (Gibbons v West Minister Bank)

(iv) Nominal damages: Nominal damages are awarded where the plaintiu has proved that there has been a breach of contract but he has not in fact suuered any real damage. It is awarded just to establish the right to decree for the breach of contract. The amount may be a rupee or even 10 paise.

(v) Damages for deterioration caused by delay: In the case of deterioration caused to goods by delay, damages can be recovered from carrier even without notice. The word ‘deterioration’ not only implies physical damages to the goods but it may also mean loss of special opportunity for sale.

(vi) Pre-fixed damages: Sometimes, parties to a contract stipulate at the time of its formation that on a breach of contract by any of them, a certain amount will be payable as damage. It may amount to either liquidated damages (i.e., a reasonable estimate of the likely loss in case of breach) or a penalty (i.e., an amount arbitrarily fixed as the damages payable). Section 74 provides that if a sum is named in a contract as the amount to be paid in case of a breach, the aggrieved party is entitled to receive from the party at fault a reasonable compensation not exceeding the amount so named (Section 74).

Example: If the penalty provided by the contract is ` 1,00,000 and the actual loss because of breach is ` 70,000, only ` 70,000 shall be available as damages, i.e., the amount of actual loss and not the amount stipulated. But if the loss is, say, ` 1,50,000, then only, ` 1,00,000 shall be recoverable.