Beyer v. Cordell

420 N.W.2d 767, 1988 S.D. LEXIS 24, 1988 WL 22290
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 16, 1988
Docket15730
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 420 N.W.2d 767 (Beyer v. Cordell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beyer v. Cordell, 420 N.W.2d 767, 1988 S.D. LEXIS 24, 1988 WL 22290 (S.D. 1988).

Opinions

SABERS, Justice.

Douglas K. Beyer and Norma J. Beyer (Beyers) appeal jury verdicts in a negligence action claiming the court erred in allowing an amendment to the pleadings and in jury instructions.

Facts

On December 12, 1978, some time after midnight, the Beyers were travelling east on U.S. Highway #212 near Watertown. There was testimony that the night was cold, there was some ice on the roads, and visibility was reduced. Near the intersection of Highway #212 and Interstate 29, the Beyers observed a semitrailer-truck blocking both eastbound lanes of Highway # 212. Another car was stopped in the left eastbound lane. The Beyer vehicle slowed and stopped. After approximately two to five minutes, the Beyer vehicle was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Alvin F. Cordell (Cordell). Cordell had been travel-ling east on Highway #212 at approximately 35 to 40 miles per hour. Cordell testified that he saw the “clearance lights” of the semi when he was approximately 100 feet from it. The Beyers’ car was then about ten feet in front of Cordell. Cordell testified he saw only the tail lights on the Beyers’ car and did not see any emergency flashers. The Beyers’ car was “totalled” and the Beyers were injured.

On November 12th, 1981 (two years and eleven months after the accident), the Bey-ers sued Cordell, alleging his negligence [769]*769resulted in personal injuries to them (property damages were settled prior to the jury trial). At the trial on January 21st through 28rd, 1987, the Beyers introduced evidence of medical bills in excess of $15,000 and economic losses in excess of $40,000. Bey-ers asserted that continuing medical problems resulting from their injuries required continuing medical treatment and interfered with Douglas Beyer’s ability to farm his land.

After the evidence was presented to the jury, but before instructions were settled, Beyers moved for directed verdicts. These motions were denied.

Cordell’s original answer raised the defense of contributory negligence against Douglas Beyer (the driver), but not against Norma Beyer (the passenger). Cordell moved to amend his answer to conform to the evidence and assert the defense of contributory negligence against Norma Beyer. The trial court allowed the amendment.

During the settling of jury instructions, the trial court sustained the Beyers’ objections to a proposed contributory negligence instruction, but gave a jury instruction on comparative negligence.

The jury returned a verdict of $11,980 for Douglas Beyer and $14,568 for Norma Beyer. The Beyers appeal.

1.TRIAL COURT DID NOT ABUSE ITS DISCRETION BY ALLOWING CORDELL TO AMEND HIS ANSWER AND ASSERT THE DEFENSE OF CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE AGAINST NORMA BEYER.

An affirmative defense is not waived if the pleadings are properly amended to include the unpled defense or if the issue was tried by express or implied consent. Schecher v. Shakstad Electric & Machine Works, Inc., 414 N.W.2d 303 (S.D. 1987). The decision to allow amendment of pleadings is within the discretion of the trial court. Tesch v. Tesch, 399 N.W.2d 880 (S.D.1987). SDCL 15-6-15(b) allows amendment of the pleadings to conform to the evidence. “The test for allowing an amendment under SDCL 15 — 6—15(b) is whether the opposing party will be prejudiced by the amendment; i.e., did he have a fair opportunity to litigate the issue, and could he have offered any additional evidence if the case had been tried on the different issue.” Bucher v. Staley, 297 N.W.2d 802, 806 (S.D.1980), citing American Property Services v. Barringer, 256 N.W.2d 887 (S.D.1977).

Cordell claims that the following evidence demonstrates Norma Beyer was contributorily negligent:

1. She was aware of the bad weather conditions and poor visibility.
2. She had a duty to maintain a lookout and did not.
3. The Beyer vehicle was parked on the highway for two to five minutes.
4. The Beyers were parked long enough to have a conversation as to whether they should turn around and go back.
5. She could have told her husband to pull off the highway and onto the shoulder.

In Miller v. Baken Park, Inc., 84 S.D. 624, 632, 175 N.W.2d 605, 609 (1970), this court stated that the passenger’s duty is “different from that of the driver.” On rehearing, this court held that “it was for the jury to decide if [the passenger] was contribu-torily negligent, i.e., if she acted as a reasonably prudent person would act under the circumstances and conditions then existing.” Miller, supra, modified on rehearing, 85 S.D. 133, 134, 178 N.W.2d 560, 561 (1970). This court in Hanisch v. Body, 77 S.D. 265, 90 N.W.2d 924 (1958), more fully stated the duty of a passenger by citing 5A Am.Jur. Automobiles and Highway Traffic, § 789:

While the guest has no duty to direct or control the driver who has physical control of the car, but may trust him until it becomes clear that such trust is misplaced, there is a point where passive reliance upon the driver ends and the duty of a guest to exercise ordinary care for his own safety begins. If the guest sees, or ought by due diligence to see, a danger not obvious to the driver, or sees that the driver is incompetent, [770]*770careless, or not taking proper precautions, it is his duty to give some warning of danger, and a failure to do so constitutes contributory negligence.... At precisely what point the duty arises ... is largely a factual question to be properly decided by the jury upon the basis of the available facts and circumstances. (emphasis added)

Hanisch, supra, 90 N.W.2d at 927. Norma Beyer testified that she reached over and turned on the flashers in the car, and that she also saw the Cordell vehicle before it struck the Beyers and gave a verbal warning to her husband.

Although Cordell asserts five factual points to support the allegation of contributory negligence against Norma Beyer, in closing arguments, Cordell’s counsel stated: “ ‘What is the negligence, if any, of Mrs. Beyer?’ The only possible negligence would be: did she have a responsibility as ... a passenger in that car to say to her husband, ‘We better pull over'?”

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Beyer v. Cordell
420 N.W.2d 767 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1988)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
420 N.W.2d 767, 1988 S.D. LEXIS 24, 1988 WL 22290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beyer-v-cordell-sd-1988.