Opinion ID: 2638442
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Subsequent employment and tax records

Text: ABC argues that in order to properly determine damages, information regarding DeNardo's subsequent employment is required. DeNardo responds that ABC already possesses information regarding his subsequent employment and that his tax records are protected. We have held that [w]ithholding materials relating to a party's damages may seriously prejudice the adverse party by making it difficult or impossible to adequately assess the strength of the opponent's case, thereby leaving the opponent in a weakened position for settlement negotiations or other purposes. [25] That appears to have been the case here. In his complaint, DeNardo requested compensatory damages. However, as DeNardo knows from his own previous litigation,  `a plaintiff alleging breach of contract must present evidence sufficient to calculate the amount of the loss caused by the breach.'  [26] DeNardo argues that ABC has all of the information it needs because it knows he was subsequently hired by Alaska Economy RVs. However, [t]he purpose of awarding damages for a breach of contract is to put the injured party in as good a position as that party would have been had the contract been fully performed. [27] Therefore, by analogy to wrongful discharge cases, an employee is generally entitled to the amount of the agreed-upon salary for the unexpired term of his employment minus what he could earn by making diligent efforts to obtain similar work. [28] ABC has no way of knowing, absent DeNardo providing it, the salary information necessary to litigate or settle the issue of damages. Therefore, despite ABC possibly having some knowledge regarding where DeNardo was working shortly after he left ABC, DeNardo was required to provide the information ABC requested. Because whether DeNardo obtained subsequent employment and because information involving that employment was relevant to any damages regarding his claim for breach of contract, ABC was prejudiced by his failure to provide the requested information.