Opinion ID: 1192667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The award to plaintiff for expenses incurred in seeking other employment was improperly computed.

Text: Because we remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings and because, depending upon the outcome of such proceedings, judgment may again be entered in favor of plaintiff, it is also necessary to consider defendants' final assignment of error. Defendants contend that the award to plaintiff of $1,115.37 for expenses incurred in seeking other employment was improper for two reasons: (1) plaintiff's testimony that he expended $1,500 for that purpose was wholly undocumented and therefore must be denied because the amount of such expenses was susceptible of proof, which was not produced, and (2) plaintiff admitted that 50% of that amount related to the costs and expenses incurred by him in making sales on a commission basis, from which he received $384.63. Regardless of whether a claim for loss of profits can properly be based upon such an undocumented estimate, we hold that when the issue to be decided involves the amount of money previously expended by a party, his testimony estimating the total amount thus expended is sufficient evidence to support a finding by the trier of the fact and that the absence of supporting proof goes to the credibility of such testimony, rather than either its admissibility or its sufficiency for that purpose. See Ginter v. Handy, 244 Or. 449, 453, 419 P.2d 21 (1966). In this case, however, plaintiff admitted on cross-examination that only 50% of the estimated sum of $1,500, or $750, was expended in seeking other employment and this was binding upon him as a judicial admission. It follows that the trial court erred in its award to plaintiff of $1,115.37 as incidental damages to reimburse him for such expenses. It also follows that any such award to plaintiff may not properly exceed the sum of $750. However, the sum of $384.63, representing the income from commission sales, need not be deducted from that amount because that income was more than offset by the additional $750 expended in making the sales which produced that income, for which plaintiff is not entitled to reimbursement. For all of these reasons, the judgment of the trial court is reversed and this case is remanded to it for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.