Beebe v. Johnson

526 P.2d 128, 165 Mont. 96, 1974 Mont. LEXIS 394
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 3, 1974
Docket12536
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 526 P.2d 128 (Beebe v. Johnson) 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
Beebe v. Johnson, 526 P.2d 128, 165 Mont. 96, 1974 Mont. LEXIS 394 (Mo. 1974).

Opinions

MR. JUSTICE JOHN C. HARRISON,

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

Plaintiff Donald R. Beebe secured a jury verdict in an action for damages for the wrongful death of his wife Dorothy and, in his representative capacity as administrator of her estate, maintained an action under the survival statute; and an action for personal injuries he suffered as a result of the same automobile accident which occurred in Lake County. [98]*98Subsequently the district court of Lake County granted defendants a new trial. From the order granting defendants a new trial, plaintiff appeals.

The issues on appeal are:

1. Did the trial court err in failing to grant defendants’ motion to set aside the verdict of the jury and enter a verdict for the defendants notwithstanding such verdict?

2. In the alternative, did the trial court err in vacating and setting aside the verdict of the jury and granting a new trial for one or more of the reasons set forth in the defendants’ motion?

Plaintiff brought the action (1) as administrator of his wife’s estate for the wrongful death of his wife, (2) as administrator of his wife’s estate under Montana’s survival statute section 93-2824, R.C.M.1947, and (3) for personal injuries to himself in the same accident. The jury awarded him this verdict :

“To the estate of Dorothy Beebe, the sum of........$33,705.65

“To Donald R. Beebe, as Administrator in his representative capacity for the heirs of Dorothy Beebe the sum of............................................................$40,000.00

“To Donald R. Beebe, Individually, the sum of ....$ 3,304.77”.

The automobile accident involved occurred midafternoon on February 24, 1969. The site of the accident was in front of the Elmo Store on U.S. Highway 93 in Lake County, Montana. Plaintiff and his wife had been to Kalispell on business and were returning home along the west shore of Flathead Lake when they came up behind two loaded logging trucks, which were also proceeding south, Dorothy Beebe was driving their 1966 Datsun automobile, while plaintiff was reading. Plaintiff testified he became aware of the first logging truck ahead of them shortly after they came around a curve north of the Elmo Store and that after following the truck for a short .distance, his wife pulled out into the lane to their left to pass the truck. He estimated that just prior to pulling out to pass, they had slowed down from 45 to 35 miles per hour and, in [99]*99order to pass, Ms wife had shifted into third gear wMeh speeded them up to between 50 and 60 miles per hour during the pass.

The first of the south bound logging trucks was driven by a Robert Hanson. The truck ahead of him was owned by Alvin S. Sihrer and was driven by Ralph Johnson, both defendants herein. Hanson testified he had followed the Sihrer truck for some time, traveling at about 55 miles per hour coming around the turn north of Elmo and into the straightaway. That at that speed he was catching up to the truck ahead, for it had begun to slow down. This caused Hanson to slow down to around 45 miles per hour and at the same time closed the distance between the two trucks to several truck lengths— approximately 120 feet to 180 feet separating them just prior to the accident. Hanson further testified that at no time, from the top of the hill north of the Elmo Store to the point where the Sihrer truck turned off the highway in front of the store, did he see any brake lights or turning lights on the Sihrer truck. He indicated the rear of the Sihrer truck was visible to him at all times. He testified he had not seen the Datsun behind him until just prior to the accident and the first time he saw it the Datsun had pulled up alongside of the cab of his truck in the left or north lane of 'the highway. His testimony described what happened then:

“Q. After you saw the Datsun, what movement, if any, did you see the Sihrer truck make? A. He was turning off.

“Q. Where was he turning? A. Into the Elmo Store.

“Q. Did you continue to watch him as he went into the turn?

¡í* * #

“A. I was more or less watching the Datsun.

“Q. * * * During the time that the Sihrer truck was still on the highway, did you continue to watch him? A. Up until she went around him, yes.

“Q. And after she went around you, had the Sihrer truck [100]*100turned across the center line? A. He had started across the center line when I first seen her.

“Q. At any time did you see any signal on the Sihrer logging truck?

<!* # *

“A. I did not notice any, no.”

A summary of plaintiff’s testimony notes that he was a passenger in the Datsun driven by his wife, and that prior to passing the first truck, driven by Hanson, his car had slowed down but in making the pass they speeded up to approximately 60 miles per hour. It was then he first noticed the Sihrer truck turning to the left into the lane of traffic they were using to make the pass. He testified the Sihrer truck was still in the southbound lane and that the front wheel of the tractor had just crossed over the center line. He further testified that as they pulled abreast of the Hanson truck and into full view of the Sihrer truck, just before the accident, he saw no lights indicating the Sihrer truck was turning to the left.

Plaintiff’s wife, Dorothy, suffered multiple injuries which left her paralyzed from the waist down. She had numerous operations, spent considerable time in hospitals and ultimately died on November 16, 1970. Plaintiff suffered a broken arm and other injuries which hospitalized him for several weeks.

At the time of the accident plaintiff operated a well drilling business in western Montana, operating two of his own rigs and leasing another. Because of the accident he was unable to continue in this business. His wife had been his office manager as well as housekeeper and mother of his children.

Johnson, driver of the Sihrer truck, testified that as he traveled south he saw the Hanson truck behind him; that as he came off the curve north of the Elmo Store, he decided he wanted something at the store so he made preparations to stop there; that he looked in his rear view mirror, saw that the Hanson truck was a reasonable distance away and saw [101]*101another car behind the Hanson truck which he estimated to be a quarter to half a mile behind him; that he put his signal lights on and started to slow down; that he began crossing the center line and as he did so he heard no horn or any sound in the area as he pulled off the road to park before the Elmo Store. He testified as to what occurred at that time:

“Q. Did you ever see or did you look again in your rear view mirror while you were in the course of turning into the Elmo Store? A. Yes, I did.

“Q. And where was your truck at that time? A. The tractor itself was pretty well off the highway and the trailer was say, in the left hand lane. It was just about to leave it and onto the driveway.

“Q. Your tractor was just about off? A. It was off. The trailer was in the left hand lane.

“Q. In the northbound lane? A. Right, approximately.

“Q. And did you look in your rear view mirror at that time? A. Yes, sir, I did.

“Q. And what did you observe? A.

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648 P.2d 1176 (Montana Supreme Court, 1982)
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Beebe v. Johnson
526 P.2d 128 (Montana Supreme Court, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
526 P.2d 128, 165 Mont. 96, 1974 Mont. LEXIS 394, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beebe-v-johnson-mont-1974.