Bainter v. Appel

245 N.W. 16, 124 Neb. 40, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 312
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 10, 1932
DocketNo. 28276
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 245 N.W. 16 (Bainter v. Appel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bainter v. Appel, 245 N.W. 16, 124 Neb. 40, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 312 (Neb. 1932).

Opinion

Eberly, J.

This was originally an action at law instituted in the district court for Sarpy county by Clarence P. Bainter, as plaintiff, against Leo Appel and Western Asphalt Paving Corporation, as defendants. Plaintiff sought a recovery from the defendants for damages to his person and property alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the defendants in the operation of a truck on and over “Old U. S. Highway 38,” resulting in a collision with plaintiff’s automobile on August 5, 1931, at a point on that public highway between three and four miles south of Gretna, Nebraska.

There was a trial to a jury. At the close of plaintiff’s evidence the trial court sustained the separate motions of defendants for a directed verdict in their behalf, and dismissed plaintiff’s action. This action of the district court was predicated upon the proposition that plaintiff’s evidence was insufficient to establish á cause of action against either defendant, and disclosed contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff in a degree sufficient to defeat a recovery by him. From the judgment thus entered, and the order of the district court overruling his motion for a new trial, the plaintiff appeals.

In view of this record, it is obvious that the correctness of the determination of the trial court is to be tested by the following established principles: (a) “If there be any testimony before the jury, by which a finding in favor of the party on whom rests the burden of proof can be upheld, the court is not at liberty to disregard it, and direct a verdict against him.” Grant v. Cropsey, 8 Neb. 205. See, also, Hunt v. State Ins. Co., 66 Neb. 125; Schmidt v. Williamsburgh City Fire Ins. Co., 95 Neb. 43. (b) “In reviewing the action of a trial court in directing a verdict, this court will regard as conclusively established every fact favorable to the unsuccessful party which the evidence proves or tends to establish.” Preston v. Stover, 70 Neb. 632; Kepler v. Chicago, St. P., M. & O. R. Co., 111 Neb. 273. (c) “Where, from the testimony before the-[43]*43jury, different minds might draw different conclusions, it is error to direct a verdict.” Suiter v. Park Nat. Bank,. 35 Neb. 372; Schwerin v. Andersen, 107 Neb. 138.

We premise our discussion of this appeal with the observation that the fact of the collision, and the damages suffered therefrom by the plaintiff, must in this proceeding be taken as uncontroverted. The determinative evidence, in view of the issues necessarily determined by the trial court in directing a verdict for defendants at the close of plaintiff’s evidence, is therefore restricted to the facts and circumstances appearing in the record which support or disprove inferences of negligence in the transaction on the part of the defendant, or which tend to establish contributive negligence on the part of the plaintiff.

It may be said that the public highway referred to in the evidence as “old thirty-eight,” and on which this collision occurred, at the scene of the accident was laid out and constructed in a general east and west direction. A short distance east of the place of collision “old. thirty-eight” was intersected by the new public highway, then under construction, and which extended from the southwest to the northeast. These roads will hereafter be referred to as the “new highway” and the “old thirty-eight.” This court will take judicial notice that measured between their lateral boundaries each of these public highways was not less than 66 feet in width; and also that the paved surface of the “new highway” and the graded and graveled portion of “old thirty-eight” occupied the central portion of the respective highways in which situated. It also appears that at the time of the accident the paving of the “new highway” (including a portion of the intersection with “old thirty-eight”) had been in part completed, and for its protection had been covered with soil. The “new highway” was then in use, at least by trucks engaged in construction work thereon. “Old thirty-eight” from this intersection, inclusive and westerly therefrom, was then in use by the public generally.

[44]*44- The testimony of defendant Appel, whose truck collided with plaintiff’s automobile, testifying as plaintiff’s witness, is, in substance, that on August,5, 1931, at approximately 4:30 p. m. he was employed in personally operating this truck and then conveying a load of sand, gravel and cement, the property of the Western Asphalt Paving Corporation, over “old thirty-eight” from “Melia, our plant, to the mixer.” This material was intended for use in paving the “new highway.”

Plaintiff testified in substance as follows: On the day of the accident he, with five others in his Graham Paige, of which he was the driver, were traveling from Council Bluffs, Iowa, via Omaha and Lincoln, to Fairbury, Nebraska. At 4:30 on that day this Graham Paige, with plaintiff at the wheel, traveling west over “old thirty-eight,” was approaching the junction of the two public highways already referred to. At this place “two cars passed me * * * going a pretty good rate of speed.” “They kicked up some dust” and caused plaintiff “to slow down.” As he “pulled up” in the intersection and had just started to cross the pavement, “something whizzed by” traveling on the “new highway” and created a big cloud of dust at this point. The dust came up “right in front of my car.” He was “into it before he knew what had happened.” The speed of his car, when crossing the intersection, was from five to seven miles an hour. “I couldn’t stop on the highway (intersection) so I just drove slowly off.” While he was in the cloud of dust he could see a little, though his view was evidently greatly curtailed. As he was driving slowly aloni* on his right-hand side of the road (north half) he saw “this truck coming out of the dust.” He then knew “there was going to be a head-on collision” and applied his brakes. He almost came to a stop before the impact; he had in fact put on his brakes while passing through the cloud of dust so the car was moving slowly when the approaching truck was first discovered. Plaintiff testifies that the actúal impact of the collision with the Appel truck took place probably fifty or sixty feet [45]*45west of the intersection, resulting in the practical destruction of his automobile. Other disinterested witnesses place this point of actual impact as “fifteen feet or so west of the intersection,” and one witness says on this topic: “I should judge fifteen or twenty feet west of the center of the intersection.” All witnesses agree that plaintiff’s car in passing through the dust cloud was at all times on the “right side” or north- half of “old thirty-eightthat the collision was head-on, and that both cars were then north of the center line of “old thirty-eight.” Indeed, here the two colliding vehicles stood after the collision, with their front wheels locked together, the truck facing eastward and the Graham Paige facing the west. There is evidence that defendant’s truck had been traveling over the north half of this highway to the eastward for some distance west of the point where the collision occurred.

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Bluebook (online)
245 N.W. 16, 124 Neb. 40, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bainter-v-appel-neb-1932.