Baker v. Goddard

53 S.E.2d 754, 205 Ga. 477, 1949 Ga. LEXIS 377
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedMay 12, 1949
Docket16592.
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 53 S.E.2d 754 (Baker v. Goddard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker v. Goddard, 53 S.E.2d 754, 205 Ga. 477, 1949 Ga. LEXIS 377 (Ga. 1949).

Opinion

Head, Justice.

1. The court did not err in overruling the oral .motion and objections of the defendant to the allowance of the amendments setting up counts 2 and 3 of the petition, upon the ground that these counts sought to set up new and distinct causes of action. It clearly appears from counts 2 and 3 that the. same collision and injuries were alleged by the petitioner, the petitioner by the separate counts relying upon distinct and separate acts of 'negligence of the defendant for a recovery. It is the right of every plaintiff to allege separate and distinct bases for a recovery in separate counts, as the plaintiff may elect, or the circumstances may justify.

2. Grounds 1 and 2 of the demurrer, that there was a misjoinder of parties defendant and misjoinder of causes of action, were properly overruled. Misjoinder of causes of action or duplicity is a matter for special demurrer to be filed at the first term (appearance date of the case, Rules of Procedure, Ga. L. 1946, *479 p. 767, § 2, Code, Ann. Supp., § 24-3376), and even though an amendment to a petition materially changes the cause of action and opens the petition as amended to demurrer, yet where the question of misjoinder or duplicity relates to the original petition, the filing of an amendment adding two additional counts will not authorize the filing of a special demurrer at the trial term. Johns v. Nix, 196 Ga. 417 (26 S. E. 2d, 526). In this case it clearly appears that the demurrers attacking the petition for misjoinder of parties and causes of action came too late. But had the defendant filed a timely special demurrer, it would not have been error for the trial court to have overruled it. It was held by this court in Battle v. Royster Guano Co., 155 Ga. 322 (118 S. E. 343), that a petitioner may seek a money judgment against one defendant and a cancellation of deeds made by such defendant to other parties in the same cause of action. See also DeLacy v. Hurst, 83 Ga. 223 (9 S. E. 1052); McVeigh v. Harrison, 185 Ga. 121 (194 S. E. 208).

3. The special demurrer to paragraph 7 of count 2 of the petition, alleging that “Leroy Mobley was an employee-servant of the defendant Rufus Baker,” on the ground that the nature of his employment or the duties of the servant were not shown, and that the allegation was a conclusion of the pleader, was properly overruled. A positive allegation does not have to be supported by the evidence upon which the pleader may rely to establish the fact alleged. Other grounds of special demurrer are without merit.

4. Grounds 1 and 2 of the amended motion for new trial assign error on the charge of the court in submitting to the jury the contention of the petitioner that Rufus Baker was operating his Ford truck at the time of the collision, it being contended that the charge was not supported by any evidence, that there was no testimony that Rufus Baker was driving the truck, but on the contrary, the undisputed testimony established the fact that Rufus Baker was not driving the truck at the time of the collision with the petitioner’s automobile.

Generally a charge with reference to the act of a principal may include the acts of an authorized agent. Trawick v. Chambliss, 42 Ga. App. 334 (2) (156 S. E. 268). In this case, however, the petitioner having alleged in count 1 that the de *480 fendant was operating the truck, and in count 2 that the defendant by his agent, LeRoy Mobley, was operating the truck, it was improper to submit to the jury the contention of the petitioner in count 1, which was wholly unsupported by any evidence. It is reversible error to submit to the jury contentions of a party wholly unsupported by any evidence, if the jury may be confused and misled by the charge as made. Culberson v. Alabama Construction Co., 127 Ga. 599 (56 S. E. 765, 9 L. R. A. (N. S.) 411, 9 Ann. Cas. 507); Gaskins v. Gaskins, 145 Ga. 806 (89 S. E. 1080); Jones v. Hogans, 197 Ga. 404, 412 (29 S. E. 2d, 568). In this case the charge on the allegations of count 1 may well have confused the jury and misled them in arriving at their verdict to such extent that a new trial must be granted.

5. Ground 3 of the amended motion for new trial assigns error on the charge of the court submitting to the jury allegations of negligence contained in count 3, in that the court instructed the jury that they would have, the pleadings out with them and might refer to the pleadings to arrive at the contentions of the parties, without instructing the jury that subparagraphs 1 and 2 of paragraph 12 had been stricken, and it is asserted that without such instruction the jury was authorized to find in favor of the petitioner on grounds of negligence not specified in the petition.

Subparagraphs 1 and 2 having been stricken by amendment, the “pleadings” would properly include such amendment, and being before the jury, they should not be misled by allegations which had been stricken.

Ground 3 further assigns error on the charge of the court with reference to the allegation of count 3 of the petition, that the defendant w¡as negligent in entrusting his automobile to LeRoy Mobley while the latter was under the influence of intoxicating liquor. It is contended that this charge authorized the jury to find that the damage to the petitioner was the result of Mobley being under the influence of intoxicating liquor, when there was no allegation in the petition that the fact that Mobley was under the influence of intoxicating liquor either caused or contributed to the negligent operation of the truck by Mobley, and that the charge was not supported by, or based upon any issue made by the pleadings.

*481 This assignment of error is without merit. Preceding the allegation in count 3 that the defendant was negligent in permitting LeRoy Mobley to operate his truck while in an intoxicated condition, it Was alleged exactly how it was contended Mobley had operated the truck. From the allegations as to the manner of operation of the truck it was for the jury to determine whether or not Mobley operated the truck in a negligent or unlawful manner.

6. Grounds 4 and 5 assign error upon the charge of the court in submitting to the jury the allegations of the petition that LeRoy Mobley was the agent or servant of the defendant Baker, it being contended that this allegation was not supported by evidence, and that the charge was misleading and confusing to the jury, and enlarged upon the allegations of agency in count 2 of the petition.

This assignment of error appears to be well taken. The sole evidence which might be said to support the contention of the petitioner that Mobley was the employee or agent of the defendant Baker is found in the testimony of the witness “Jigger-boo” Smith, who stated as follows, “I know that he worked for him — that’s what I thought.” This statement, when construed with the complete testimony of the witness, is insufficient to show that Mobley was employed by the defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
53 S.E.2d 754, 205 Ga. 477, 1949 Ga. LEXIS 377, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-v-goddard-ga-1949.