Contributory Negligence

Last march 9, 2007 was probably the worst day of IV-Tan. If in our first year in UP high in section Villamor, we also had our worst day on that year and it was on the 5th of march of that year.


Many things had had happened. First, it was on march 9 of this year that plenty of girls in IV-Tan were sent to the clinic because they fainted during our CWTS period. Next, it was also on this day when most of the people had quarrels and petty fights. It was also on this day when Nico was accidentally bumped by a car when we were about to go home.


This was the first time that I witnessed a car accident. I never thought it would happen to Nico. It was only the two of us who went home together because our other companions went home early. It was really an accident. I really know that it was really our fault because we let jeepney stop and we went out knowing that we were in the center of the high road.


Contributory negligence is the term in practical law for an offense committed by the driver of the vehicle. Although it was the victim's fault that the accident had happened, it is still the driver's responsibility because according to a Latin phrase in practical law, “sic utere tuo ut non excusat”, “use your own(property) as not to injure other's property.
I was really shocked when i saw Nico lying on the rough surface road. It took me more than ten seconds to approach Nico, after he was hit by the vehicle, because I was already in the state of shock.


I really felt guilty on that very moment because if it weren't for us who went out from the vehicle in the center of the road, there would be no accident that will happen.
It was really a learning experience for the both of us. It made me realize that everything could have happened to us, so we must be more careful and be more sensitive to our surroundings. It also made us realize that we must also follow rules and regulations because this will really help us especially in our safety. It also made me think that somehow the rules and regulations that the government had implemented are somehow very useful it is just that the citizens are the ones violating these rules and that the government are blamed for such carelessness.