Berg v. New York Central Railroad

55 N.E.2d 394, 323 Ill. App. 221, 1944 Ill. App. LEXIS 846
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 24, 1944
DocketGen. No. 9,415
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 55 N.E.2d 394 (Berg v. New York Central Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berg v. New York Central Railroad, 55 N.E.2d 394, 323 Ill. App. 221, 1944 Ill. App. LEXIS 846 (Ill. Ct. App. 1944).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Dady

delivered the opinion of' the court.

This is a personal injury suit brought by the conservator of William Berg, an incompetent person, against the defendant appellant, for injuries received by Berg as a result of a collision between a passenger train of defendant and an automobile in which Berg was riding as a passenger. There was a verdict and judgment against defendant. Defendant appeals.

After the return of the verdict, the defendant moved for judgment for defendant notwithstanding the verdict, and, in the alternative, that a new trial be ordered.

The trial judge, at the time of the entry of judgment, filed and delivered a written opinion which, so far as material, stated: “. . . So far, only the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict has been argued, and that is the motion which will now be passed upon. . . . the motion of the defendant for judgment notwithstanding the verdict will be denied. No argument has been made ... on the motion for new trial, and if the defendant’s counsel desire to be heard upon that motion, the court will be glad to hear and consider such argument.” The attorney for the defendant then stated: “. . . we don’t care to argue the motion for new trial, . . . and we do not care to be heard on the motion for new trial.” The trial judge then said: “All right, enter the following orders: — Defendant’s motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict overruled. Motion for new trial overruled. Judgment on verdict in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant . . .

In Helton v. Thomson, 311 Ill. App. 354, 366, the court said: “The current rule undoubtedly is that a motion for a new trial may be so waived by abandonment in the court below as properly to foreclose the Appellate Court from examining the propositions on which it is based, but each case rests upon the particular circumstances indicating whether or not a waiver may be presumed. ... If the trial judge had desired an oral argument, and so indicated, defendant’s counsel would undoubtedly have been called upon to comply with the court’s request, or if he had refused to do so the court might have construed the refusal as an abandonment of the motion.” (See also Calumet Furniture Co. v. Reinhold, 51 Ill. App. 323; Firemen’s Ins. Co. v. Horton, 68 Ill. App. 497; Eckels v. Hawkinson, 138 Ill. App. 627.)

From such authorities it is our opinion that the defendant is not in a position to complain of the denial of the motion for a new trial.

The only other contention of the defendant is that its motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict should have been allowed on four grounds, vis: (1) that the uncontradicted evidence established that Berg, and Graves who was driving the automobile, were engaged in a joint enterprise, both were negligent and the negligence of either was the negligence of the other; (2) that there is no evidence tending to prove that Berg was in the exercise of due care for his own safety either at or prior to the time of the collision; (3) that there is no evidence showing or tending to show the defendant guilty of negligence as charged; (4) and that the proximate cause of the accident was the icy condition of Third Street and the automobile skidding thereon.

In passing on a motion for judgment notwithstanding -the verdict the rules applicable on a motion for a directed verdict should be applied. The evidence must be considered in its aspect most favorable to the plaintiff, together with all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, and the court is required to assume .that the evidence favorable to the plaintiff is true. The evidence must not be weighed and all contradictory or explanatory circumstances must be rejected. The only inquiry is whether there is any evidence fairly tending to prove the plaintiff’s complaint. If there is any evidence fairly tending to prove the complaint, the motion must be denied, even though the court is of the opinion that a verdict for the plaintiff, if given, must be set aside as against the preponderance of the evidence. (Synwolt v. Klank, 296 Ill. App. 79; Hunter v. Troup, 315 Ill. 293; Osborn v. Leuffgen, 312 Ill. App. 251.)

Following such rules of law, we will discuss and consider only the undisputed evidence and the evidence favorable to the plaintiff.

On February 11, 1942, William Berg, Murray Williams, and Earl Fancher and wife, at the invitation of Ernest Graves, rode from St. Joseph to Urbana in an automobile owned and driven by Graves. In Urbana they were joined by Don Gaylord. The five men lived in or near St. Joseph and went to Urbana to participate in a bowling contest with other teams. They bowled from about 9:00 p. m. to about 11:30 p. m. Berg, Williams and Fancher and wife were then driven back to St. Joseph by Graves, in the Graves automobile, Berg sitting on the back seat. On returning to St. Joseph, Fancher and wife were the first to get out of the Graves car. Graves then drove Williams to the latter’s home. Thereupon, and while Berg was still sitting alone on such rear seat, Graves drove south on Third Street and onto the railroad crossing, for the purpose of taking Berg to Berg’s home. The passenger train of the defendant, traveling about 60 miles per hour in an easterly direction on the southerly or main line track, then struck the automobile on the rear right hand side, causing the injuries complained of. The accident occurred about 12:18 a.° m. Both Graves and Berg lived in the neighborhood of and were familiar with the crossing.

At and near the place of the accident the railroad tracks ran east and west, and across Third Street at right angles. There were two sets of parallel tracks, a few feet apart, the southerly set being the main line track, and the northerly set being a side or passing track. The only crossing warning signals were two stationary “cross-buck” signs, one at the northwest corner of the crossing, and one at the southwest corner.

A poultry house was located 63 feet west of the center of Third Street and 104 feet north of the north rail of the main track, the base dimensions of which were 26 x 24 feet. Westerly of Third Street there was located the foundation and walls of a burned elevator, which structure was about 18 feet north of the north rail of the main track. Its base dimensions were 32 x 36 feet, and its height about 9 or 10 feet. The reply brief of the defendant states that: “the plat and photographs show that the first clear view they (Berg and Graves) had for any distance to the west was as they passed the poultry house going south at a point at least 100 feet north of the main track.”

George Rutledge testified that on February 10th weeds as high as from 12 to 14 feet were growing on the westerly side of the crossing. Mrs. Rutledge testified without objection that “as you came from the north to the crossing it was practically impossible to see clearly until you were almost upon the tracks,” because of the weeds which were thick and from 6 to 7 feet high, and that the concrete foundation also obstructed the view. William Besore testified that on February 11th there were weeds on the right of way, on the westerly side of the crossing, about shoulder high, and that one would have to get within 10 feet of the track before he could see down the track. Mrs. Besore testified that she saw the weeds after the accident and they were shoulder high.

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Bluebook (online)
55 N.E.2d 394, 323 Ill. App. 221, 1944 Ill. App. LEXIS 846, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berg-v-new-york-central-railroad-illappct-1944.