Ball v. Gussenhoven

74 P. 871, 29 Mont. 321, 1904 Mont. LEXIS 2
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 6, 1904
DocketNo. 1,731
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 74 P. 871 (Ball v. Gussenhoven) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ball v. Gussenhoven, 74 P. 871, 29 Mont. 321, 1904 Mont. LEXIS 2 (Mo. 1904).

Opinion

ME, OOMiMIS'SIO'NEB OLAYBEEG

prepared- tbe opinion for tbe court.

Tbis was an action brought by plaintiff to recover damages against defendant for a personal injury. Tbe defendant was tbe proprietor of a steam laundry, and- plaintiff was employed therein. Bier band was injured, by being caught between tbe rollers of a mangle or ironing machine used in tbe laundry, at which she was put to work by defendant’s foreman. Tbe negligence upon which tbe recovery is sought is a failure on tbe part of defendant to provide plaintiff with reasonably safe machinery to work upon and to- maintain it in a reasonably safe condition. In tbe answer defendant admits that plaintiff was in bis employ, and sustained injury to one of her bands by being caught in tbe mangle; then denies any negligence on tbe part of defendant as alleged, and alleges that tbe plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. Tbe replication denies all tbe new matter set forth in tbe answer.

Tbe case came on for bearing before tbe court and a jury, and tbe defendant immediately objected to1 tbe introduction of any evidence on tbe part of tbe plaintiff on tbe ground “that tbe complaint fails to state facts sufficient in law to entitle tbe plaintiff' to the relief sought, and does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.” Tbis objection was overruled, and tbe defendant reserved an exception. Immediately iajfter tbe close of plaintiff’s evidence counsel for defendant moved for a nonsuit, which was overruled, and to which defendant also saved exception. Defendant then, introduced bis proof, and at tbe close of all tbe testimony moved tbe court to direct tbe jury to return a verdict for defendant, which motion was. also overruled, and defendant excepted. Tbe case was given to tbe jury, which returned a general verdict in favor of plaintiff for tbe sum of $2,000. In addition to- tbe general verdict, there were ten special findings submitted to tbe jury by defendant, all of which were found in favor of plaintiff and against the defendant.'

[327]*327The defendant gave notice of intention to move for a new trial, had a bill of exceptions settled, and on the 29th day of June, 1901, filed a stipulation signed by the attorneys for the respective parties, which was in the following language: “It is hereby stipulated and agreed by and between counsel in the above-entitled action as follows: (1) Immediately after the settlement by the court of the defendant’s bill of exceptions herein the defendant may present his motion for a new trial, and all notices preliminary to the presentation of such motion for new trial, together with the time of presenting the same, are deemed to be waived, except the notice hereinafter mentioned. (2) Said motion for new trial may. be niade and argued any time between August 25, 1901, and October 1, 1901, and may be brought on for hearing on five days’ notice.”

So far as disclosed by the record on this appeal, ho motion for a new trial was ever made, and the appeal before the court is from the judgment.

The question as to whether a bill of exceptions settled for use on the hearing of motion for a new trial can be considered by this court on an appeal from a judgment when no motion for a new trial has been made in the court below, and no decision thereon is appealed from, has not been presented in this appeal, and therefore it is not considered or decided.

This court is left somewhat in doubt as to the actual position of appellant’s counsel on the questions of assumed risk and contributory negligence of the plaintiff. In the brief filed counsel makes the assertion that the case is to be tested by the question as to whether or not plaintiff assumed the risks of the employment, and states that the question of contributory negligence is not in the 'case. Upon his oral argument to- the court he announced that the above statement contained in his brief was not correct, and that he did rely on the contributory negligence of the plaintiff, and the first point he argued to the court was that the complaint in the case did not state facts sufficient, to constitute a cause of action, because it contained no allegation negativing the existence of contributory negligence.

[328]*328Tbe defenses of contributory negligence and assumption of risk are entirely inconsistent witb each other, and do not rest upon tbe same principles; and tbe existence of one necessarily excludes tbe existence of tbe other. (1 Bailey, M. & S. Sec. 938 et seq.; Miner v. Connecticut River R. R. Co., 153 Mass. 398-403, 26 N. E. 994; Texas P. Ry. v. Bryant, 8 Tex. Civ. App. 134, 27 S. W. 825; Mundle v. Manufacturing Co., 86 Me. 400, 30 Atl. 16.) If tbe defense of tbe assumption of risk is maintained, tbe question of the existence of contributory negligence does not arise, because, if plaintiff assumed tbe risks of tbe employment, be cannot recover, even if be exercised tbe highest degree of care.

We recognize tbe rule that'a defendant is entitled to' plead in tbe same answer as many defenses as be may wish to. present, even though they are inconsistent witb each other, and is entitled to present and rely upon any of such defenses upon tbe trial of tbe case; subject, however, to' instructions to tbe jury as to their proper effect in each case. We do not wish to be understood as deciding whether tbe defense of tbe assumption of risk must be pleaded specially, as such question is. not involved in this case; this defense being pleaded. These questions, however, are not material to this, case, as both tbe defenses of contributory negligence and assumption of risk were pleaded, presented to- tbe jury, and found against tbe appellant.

1. Tbe first question raised by tbe appellant is that tbe complaint does not state facts sufficient to> constitute a cause of action, in that it does not allege that the plaintiff acted witb due and ordinary care in tbe operation of tbe mangle by which she was injured; in other words, that tbe complaint does not negative tbe existence of contributory negligence. This question, we think, is answered by this court in tbe case of Cummings v. Helena & Livingston S. & R. Co., 26 Mont. 434, 68 Pac. 852. Mr. Justice Pigott, speaking for tbe court, said: “In actions for personal injuries tbe absence of contributory negligence is not required to be pleaded or proved by tbe plain[329]*329tiff, but its presence is a matter of defense. Such is tbe law in Montana. Higley v. Gilmer, 3 Mont. 90, 35 Am. Rep. 450; Mulville v. Pac. Mutual Life Ins. Co., 19 Mont. 95, 47 Pac. 650; Snook v. City of Anaconda, 26 Mont. 128, 66 Pac. 756. Tbe contrary rule was announced in Ryan v. Gilmer, 2 Mont. 517, 25 Am. Rep. 744, but bas been overturned by tbe eases cited and those referred to. by tbé opinions therein. If, however, tbe complaint shows tbe proximate (or a proximate) cause of the injury to have been tbe act of the plaintiff, tbe complaint must also state bis freedom from negligence in the doing of tbe act; otherwise tbe pleading is bad (Kennon v. Gilmer, 4 Mont. 433, 2 Pac. 21) ; and so, if the evidence in behalf of tbe plaintiff shows tbe injury to have been directly caused (either in whole or in part) by bis act, tbe burden is immediately upon him to prove that be was exercising ordinary care at tbe time. Nelson v. City of Helena, 16 Mont. 21, 39 Pac. 905. Another rule, from which there seems, to be no dissent except in North Carolina (Bolden v.

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Bluebook (online)
74 P. 871, 29 Mont. 321, 1904 Mont. LEXIS 2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ball-v-gussenhoven-mont-1904.