Opinion ID: 521021
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Value of the Videotapes

Text: 35 The district court did not err in instructing the jury not to award damages for the loss of the videotapes. As noted above, Aramco's employment contracts in effect incorporate Section 74 of the Saudi Labor Law. This section provides that damages for a workman terminated without a valid reason shall take into account the nature of the work, the period of service, the workman's age, the pay he was receiving, the family burdens he shoulders, the extent to which his income from his new job is lower than the income from his old job, the degree of arbitrariness of the discharge decision, the extent to which the discharge affects the workman's reputation, and any other conditions and concomitant circumstances in accordance with the rules of equity and current generally accepted practice. 36 Aramco presented the testimony of an expert on Saudi labor law to the effect that Section 74 does not permit the award of damages for losses to an employee's property. Since this testimony was uncontradicted, we find no basis for the plaintiffs' argument. 37 Even if Texas law provided the standard for contract damages in this case, we would hold that the district court's instruction was proper. Under Texas law, damages for breach of contract include losses that are natural, probable, and foreseeable consequence[s] of the breach. LaChance v. Hollenbeck, 695 S.W.2d 618, 621 (Tex.App.1985). The plaintiffs have never seriously disputed testimony to the effect that the Saudi authorities ordered the confiscation and destruction of the videotapes. Under these circumstances, we cannot characterize the destruction of the tapes as a consequence of Aramco's decision to terminate the plaintiffs.