Opinion ID: 2329621
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Appellant's Charges

Text: The judge first refused appellant's charge pertaining to incidental costs, which she believed she was entitled to recover. These included the costs of transportation to and from Mexico to learn Spanish, the cost to learn Spanish, and additional costs of living in Mexico. Connected to this was the modification of another damage instruction limiting recovery to $6,660. On these issues, the judge instructed the jury as follows: The measure of damages for a breach of a written contract is compensation for the loss sustained by reason of the breach. The damages recoverable by the plaintiff in this case and the items that go to make up each, of which I should discuss separately, are the following: A, all monies paid by plaintiff to defendant for fees, tuition, room and board, purchase of books and other materials, purchase of food, et cetera; all monies paid by plaintiff for transportation to and from Montserrat, including but not limited to air fare, excess baggage charges, taxi fares, et cetera; all monies paid by plaintiff for miscellaneous expenses, including but not limited to, additional taxi fares, telephone charges, costs of mailing, postage and telegrams, room and board, et cetera; all monies expended necessarily by plaintiff if you find they were incurred as a result of defendant's breach of contract and are naturally and probably damages resulting from said breach. On the other hand, let's flip the coin. If the plaintiff breaches the contract, then these damages do not necessarily flow from her breach of contract and are not compensable to her, then we necessarily get back to those refund items of the tuition and a portion of the room deposit as being the only things compensable by reason of the notice to the university of her withdrawal. None of these other expenses are in any way involved if she is the breaching party. All monies paid by the plaintiff, if she had the contract breached by the defendant, for entry and exit fees to Montserrat, passport fees and student fees. In the event that you find in favor of the plaintiff, you should add the sums of damage together and return your verdict in a single lump sum, but no greater than six six six 0, which was demanded in the complaint. As the judge noted, appellant requested $6,660 in damages in her complaint. The complaint did not allege the incidental costs she now wants. To recover costs for a breach of contract, compensation is given only for those injuries that are a direct and forseeable result of the breach. See The Dimitros Chandris, 43 F.Supp. 829 (1942); Emerman v. Baldwin, 186 Pa.Super. 561, 142 A.2d 440 (1958). See also, Subcommittee Note to Proposed Jury Instructions, 6.01K Incidental Costs (1973). The damages appellant requested, and were rejected in the instruction, do not fall within this category. As set out, the judge's instructions sufficiently apprise the jury of their duty as to the measure of the damages.