Why is it that so many lawyers don't know the difference between the term for a "cause of action" and the reason one has such a cause in the first place?
E.g. Use of the word "damages". In a complaint for damages, lawyers often conclude with, "As a result of defendant's negligence, the plaintiff suffered actual damages.... ?"
Isn't DAMAGE already plural?
What lawyers should remember is that "Damage" is the injury suffered by a person, while "damages" is the "cause of action" that arises from the injury.
So a better worded complaint for moral damages would read:
(For the damage suffered by the plaintiff), As a result of the sleepless nights and social humiliation plaintiff has suffered he is entitled to moral damages that may be placed in the amount of P1M.
Go ahead, make your dreams come true! But make sure you know the difference between "DAMAGE" and "DAMAGES."
What makes it worse is when you pick up a newspaper after a Typhoon and you read, "Typhoon ___ caused P15M in damages."
I'd like to meet the lawyer ready to sue mother nature.
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