Atchley v. Finley

133 P.2d 823, 57 Cal. App. 2d 21, 1943 Cal. App. LEXIS 141
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 3, 1943
DocketCiv. No. 12243
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 133 P.2d 823 (Atchley v. Finley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Atchley v. Finley, 133 P.2d 823, 57 Cal. App. 2d 21, 1943 Cal. App. LEXIS 141 (Cal. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

SPENCE, J.

Plaintiffs, who are husband and wife, brought this action to recover damages which were alleged to have been caused by the negligent operation of defendants’ automobile. Upon a trial by jury, plaintiffs had judgment against defendants for $3000 and from said judgment, defendants appeal.

The accident occurred on El Camino Real at the intersection thereof with Hobart Street in the city of San Mateo. Plaintiffs had been travelling in a northerly direction on El Camino Real and were making a left turn into Hobart Street when the automobile of defendants, which was travel-ling in a southerly direction, struck the right rear side of plaintiffs’ car with such force that the latter was turned [24]*24around and came to rest facing east at the southwest corner of the intersection.

It is conceded that the evidence was conflicting. Defendants claim that the evidence preponderated in their favor while plaintiffs claim that the evidence preponderated in their favor. We believe that a reading of the record tends to sustain plaintiffs’ claim in this regard but, in any event, there was abundant evidence to sustain the implied findings in plaintiffs’ favor.

The accident happened at about 8 o’clock on a clear night. The lights on both cars were lighted. El Camino Real is a wide, heavily travelled highway and the traffic at the Hobart Street intersection is controlled by mechanical signals. When plaintiffs arrived at a point near the Hobart Street intersection, the traffic signal was against them. They stopped their ear behind other cars and awaited the change of the signal. The north bound traffic was heavy but there was but little south bound traffic. After the signal changed they pulled into the intersection in low gear, awaited a break in the south bound traffic and then turned left. Plaintiffs had first seen defendants’ car when it was some distance away but it struck the rear right side of plaintiffs’ car before the latter cleared the intersection. The conflict in the testimony related mainly to the speed of defendants’ ear,’its course upon the highway and the course of plaintiffs’ car. Plaintiffs claimed that defendants’ car was negligently driven into their car while defendants’ car was proceeding at about 50 miles per hour in the lane next to the westerly curb and while plaintiffs’ car was being operated in a careful manner in making the left turn after proceeding beyond the center of the intersection. Defendants claimed that their car was proceeding at 25 miles per hour in the middle lane used by south bound traffic, and that plaintiffs negligently cut the corner and ran into the path of defendants ’ car in such manner that the accident could not have been avoided by defendants. It is not contended that plaintiffs’ car travelled at a rapid rate of speed at any point near the intersection.

In the opening brief, defendants contended that the “most serious error” occurred in the refusal of the trial court to give certain requested instructions relating to the duties of a driver in making a left turn. It appears however from the instructions quoted in plaintiffs’ brief that this subject was [25]*25fully covered by the trial court in the instructions given. Defendants state in their reply brief that, upon further examination of the record, they are satisfied that such was the case and they therefore abandon this contention.

Defendants contend that counsel for plaintiffs was guilty of prejudicial misconduct in his argument to the jury. This contention is based upon an incident which occurred in the closing argument to the jury. Counsel for plaintiffs then said “I thought they contended it was a 25 mile an hour zone but now we find he contends it is a 45 mile an hour zone.” Counsel for defendants immediately denied that defendants were making any such contention and counsel for plaintiffs said “I understand he contends it is a 45 mile an hour zone but now it seems it is not true. We will pass on as I do not want to waste any time on the matter. ’ ’ Defendants argue that this statement by plaintiffs’ counsel regarding defendants’ contention was not made in good faith and that it was made for the purpose of confusing the jury and prejudicing the jury against the defendants.

When the defendant driver was being examined by his own counsel, he testified as follows: “Q. About what speed were you travelling when you got on El Camino Real and started south ? A. Well, south of Third Avenue is a 45 mile an hour zone. Mr. Foley : I ask that that be stricken as a conclusion of the witness on a matter of law. It happens to be in error too. The Court : Yes, I think we had better have that from someone who is familiar with it. Mr. Hoge : I didn’t ask for that. It is merely voluntary, your Honor.” On cross-examination, the defendant driver testified as follows: “Q. You were familiar with the El Camino highway running down through San Mateo for the full length down to and including the intersection where the accident happened and on down to Bay Meadows, is that right? A. Yes. Q. You knew that that entire section clear down to where this accident happened and down to Bay Meadows, was in the City of San Mateo, didn’t you? A. Yes, sir. Q. It is true, is it not, that it is your habit to drive 45 miles an hour in the City of San Mateo from Third Avenue down to the portion you mentioned? Mr. Hoge: We object to the question as unfair cross-examination. Your Honor will remember that he would not let this young man testify to the particular zone along there whether, it was 45 miles an hour. [26]*26The Court : The objection is overruled. A. The zone is 45 miles an hour. Mr. Foley : No, I am asking a question. Will you pay attention to it and answer it. I will ask the reporter to read it. (Question read.) Mr. Hoge: I object to that question as calling for habit, as incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial. The Court : Overruled. A. If it is within the speed limit, I will drive that fast. Mr. Foley : I didn’t ask you that. Q. Will you answer the question I asked you? A. Will you read the question? (Pending question read.) A. Yes. Q. And you were driving 45 miles an hour on this day, along there? A. Yes,, in the 45 mile zone. Q. What you say was the 45 mile an hour zone. A. Well, whatever the sign says. Q. Yes, and there is no sign there at all saying 45 miles an hour, is there, Mr. Finley ? A. I believe there is. Q. Where is it? A. I can’t say accurately. ’ ’

Defendants call attention to the fact that the defendant driver also testified that he was travelling 25 miles per hour, that he admitted that he had observed a 25 miles an hour sign as he approached the intersection and that defendants’ instructions were based upon the theory that the zone was a 25 miles an hour zone. It is nevertheless apparent that there was at least some confusion in the record as to claims of the defendant driver with respect to the lawful speed in the zone in question. Under such circumstances, we cannot say that the challenged statement of plaintiffs’ counsel was not made in good faith. Defendants claim that “The defendant’s conception of the nature of any surrounding zone was utterly immaterial” but we are of the view that it was entirely legitimate for plaintiffs’ counsel to comment upon the defendant driver’s apparent conception of the nature of that zone as shown by the record in an endeavor to convince the jury that it was probable that he had travelled in that zone at a higher speed than 25 miles per hour. We therefore find no misconduct in the making of the challenged statement.

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Bluebook (online)
133 P.2d 823, 57 Cal. App. 2d 21, 1943 Cal. App. LEXIS 141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/atchley-v-finley-calctapp-1943.