Avila v. DuPont

180 N.E. 124, 278 Mass. 83, 1932 Mass. LEXIS 815
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court·Decided January 6, 1932·Published·Cited by 16 cases

Opinion

Crosby, J.

This is an action of tort to recover for the conscious suffering and death of the plaintiff’s intestate, resulting from an automobile accident which occurred about 11:30 p.m. on August 11, 1928, on the main highway in the village of Osterville, a part of the town of Barnstable, in this [85] Commonwealth. At the time of the accident a touring car, owned by A. Felix DuPont, was operated by his cousin, the defendant, on the highway in a westerly direction, and after passing an automobile proceeding in the same direction, operated by one Davidson, the left front wheel of the defendant’s car collided with the left front wheel of an automobile owned by one Vialle, and operated by one Howard in an easterly direction, causing the latter’s automobile to cross part of the road to its left and strike almost head on the Davidson automobile, in which the plaintiff’s intestate was riding as a passenger. The case was tried with two other cases brought by this plaintiff, one against the operator of the Vialle automobile and the other against Vialle. In each of those cases the jury found for the defendant. In the present action there was a verdict for the plaintiff. In answer to three special questions submitted to the jury they found (1) that the driver of the Vialle automobile did not operate it in a negligent manner; (2) that A. Felix DuPont had a regular place of abode in Massachusetts for a period of more than thirty days in the year 1928, and prior to August 11 of that year; and (3) that apart from any question as to the regular place of abode of A. Felix DuPont the defendant operated the car which he was driving in a negligent manner so as to cause or contribute to the injuries of Julia A. Avila, the plaintiff’s intestate. It is recited in the exceptions that there was evidence sufficient to warrant the jury in finding that negligence on the part of the defendant caused the injuries to and death of the decedent; that she was in the exercise of due care; and that damages were sustained in the amounts awarded. It is also stated that complete and correct instructions were given to the jury with reference to the question of liability based on negligence, apart from the matter of illegal registration, and also concerning the matter of damages.

. In view of these recitals, there is ground for the inference that the defendant has suffered no harm even if there were error in respect to "the issue whether the automobile operated by the defendant and owned by A. Felix DuPont was properly registered so as not to be an outlaw on the highway [86] under the laws of this Commonwealth. It is strongly urged for the defendant that, for aught that appears on the record, damages might have been enhanced because of a greater degree of culpability on the part of the defendant if the automobile were found to have been an outlaw on the highway. Fairbanks v. Kemp, 226 Mass. 75, 79. Therefore, since the point has been fully argued on both sides, it is considered and decided. The record shows that it was registered in the name of the owner in the State of Delaware, and bore a Delaware number plate at the time of the accident. There was evidence that it was owned by A. Felix' DuPont of Wilmington, Delaware, who had a summer home at Osterville in this Commonwealth since 1926, which was occupied by him personally and by the members of his family, his servants and his guests. Whether the automobile should have been registered in this Commonwealth depends upon the proper interpretation of G. L. c. 90, § 1, as amended by St. 1923, c. 464, § 1, and St. 1924, c. 189. That statute defines a nonresident as “any resident of any state or country who has no regular place of abode or business in the commonwealth for a period of more than thirty days in the year . . . .” If A. Felix DuPont had a regular place of abode in this Commonwealth for a period of more than thirty days in the year 1928, and operated the automobile in question upon the highways of this Commonwealth, or permitted it to be so operated, without registration, it was an outlaw and a trespasser upon the highway. Dudley v. Northampton Street Railway, 202 Mass. 443. Hanson v. Culton, 269 Mass. 471, 476.

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Avila v. DuPont, 180 N.E. 124, 278 Mass. 83, 1932 Mass. LEXIS 815 (Mass. 1932).

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