There is a bit in the judgement that has given me the right royal hump, and I expect it also gave the Judge similar. Although he didn't express it in those words.
Right at the end of his judgement, just after he dismissed the appeal, he said this.
23. While no point was taken on this appeal as to the proper assessment of Mr Hussain's loss of profit, I do question whether the calculation was right. Where the claim is limited to the lost profit, the true loss is not simply the pro rata loss of profit identified from a claimant's accounts but also the fixed overheads incurred during the period of loss that could not be avoided during the cessation in trade. To give a simple example:
23.1 A professional driver might receive gross income of £2,000 per month from which he has to pay fixed overheads (including interest payable on the loan taken to purchase his car, insurance and road tax) of £250 and variable costs (principally fuel, servicing and tyres) of £500.
23.2 His accounts would show a net profit of £1,250 per month, but the claimant's true loss upon his car being off the road for a full month is £1,500 (being his pro rata loss of net profit plus the fixed overheads that he had to pay even though he was not working).24. Here, it appears that Mr Hussain was simply awarded his pro rata loss of profit. In making that observation, I should make plain that I am not criticising Judge Wall. Counsel at trial simply did not address on these very modest numbers the question of fixed overheads and the judge had no material on which to adjust her calculation of loss.What the judge is correctly saying is that no-one at the original hearing, nor anyone at the High Court Appeal, worked out that any financial loss isn't merely our profit. Our financial losses also include our overheads.
