Bickham v. Audubon Insurance Co.

130 So. 2d 60, 1961 La. App. LEXIS 1904
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 10, 1961
DocketNo. 5338
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 130 So. 2d 60 (Bickham v. Audubon Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bickham v. Audubon Insurance Co., 130 So. 2d 60, 1961 La. App. LEXIS 1904 (La. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

LANDRY, Judge.

This suit arises from an intersectional automobile accident which occurred at the corner of Magnolia Street (which runs from east to west) and Laurel Street (which runs in a northerly-southerly direction) in Amite City, Louisiana, on Sunday, September 6, 1959, at approximately 12:30 P.M.

The collision transpired when a 1959 Chevrolet (owned and being driven southerly along Laurel Street by one Rufus Stevens) struck the right rear wheel of plaintiff’s 1951 Chevrolet Carry-All (a type of station wagon somewhat resembling a truck) being driven westerly along Magnolia Street by plaintiff’s 15 year old son, Jonathan Bickham, the point of impact being in the northwest quadrant of the intersection in question.

Plaintiff having requested a jury trial of his action to recover from defendant Audubon Insurance Company (Stevens’ liability insurer) the cost of repairing his damaged vehicle as well as damages for personal injuries sustained by plaintiff’s said son, has taken this appeal from the judgment of the trial court rejecting said demands upon the jury finding young Bickham guilty of contributory negligence.

It is undisputed that the situs of the accident is within a school zone posted with the usual signs indicating a maximum legal speed of 15 miles per hour. It is also con[61]*61ceded by all parties that at the time of the accident neither street was favored by express municipal ordinance and there was no stop sign facing either motorist involved herein.

Under the foregoing circumstances it is clear that Stevens enjoyed the right of way since he was approaching the intersection from the right of the Bickham lad. LSA-R.S. 32:237, subd. A; Travelers Ins. Co. v. Great American Indemnity Co., La. App., 113 So.2d 815; Rhodes v. Rowell, La. App., 106 So.2d 820; Weidner v. Globe Indemnity Co., La.App., 98 So.2d 566; Brazzel v. Farrar, La.App., 61 So.2d 517.

Plaintiff maintains the sole proximate cause of the accident was the negligence of Stevens in exceeding the speed limit, failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to accord young Bickham the right of way after Bickham had lawfully preempted the intersection. On the other hand, defendant contends the sole proximate cause of the accident was the negligence of Bickham in failing to maintain a proper lookout, failing to stop before entering the intersection and failure to accord Stevens the right of way to which the latter was entitled.

The only witnesses to the mishap were the drivers of the respective vehicles, neither of whom had a guest passenger. A most unusual feature of this case is the fact that there is very little dispute between the drivers as to the manner in which the accident occurred.

Jonathan Bickham testified he was proceeding westerly along Magnolia Street to visit his uncle who lived nearby. He approached the intersection at a rate of speed estimated to be about 15 to 20 miles per hour. There being no stop sign confronting him, he did not bring his vehicle to a halt. Before reaching the corner he glanced first to his left and then to his right and observing no traffic approaching from either direction proceeded into the intersection at approximately 15 miles per hour. At no time did he see the oncoming Stevens vehicle until his attention was directed thereto by the squeal of Stevens’s brakes. Upon hearing the noise of the brakes he glanced out of the window of his vehicle, observed the Stevens automobile immediately upon him and instantly the collision occurred. At the time of impact he was positive that the front end of his vehicle had passed completely through the intersection.

Defendant’s insured, Stevens, testified he was proceeding southerly along Laurel Street at a speed of 25 or 30 miles per hour in the right southbound lane (the westernmost travel lane) and upon approaching the intersection suddenly observed the carry-all emerge from behind heavy shrubbery at the northeast corner of the intersection (the McClendon property) and proceed across the intersection. He immediately applied his brakes but was unable to avoid striking the Bickham vehicle, the front of his vehicle striking the carryall at the approximate center of the right rear wheel of the latter vehicle.

In support of his contention the accident was caused by excessive speed on the part of Stevens, plaintiff relies principally upon the fact that the Stevens vehicle, by actual measurement left 50 feet of skid marks prior to the point of impact and traveled an additional eight feet after striking the carry-all. On this same issue, plaintiff points to the fact that following the impact the carry-all executed a complete 180 degree turn, traveled a distance of 41 feet westerly along Magnolia Street and came to rest in a ditch on the south side thereof. From the foregoing plaintiff concludes the speed of the Stevens vehicle was clearly excessive despite the fact the evidence shows that although the front portion of the Stevens car struck the carry-all, the headlights of the Stevens vehicle were not broken.

The basis of plaintiff’s entire position is preemption of the intersection in question. It cannot be denied the settled jurisprudence of this state is to the effect that a motorist who preempts an intersec[62]*62tion thereby gains the right of way and that a motorist on a favored street is, under .such circumstances, required to yield the superior right of passage he may have otherwise enjoyed. Enga v. Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company, La.App., 104 So.2d 275; Booth v. Columbia Casualty Company, 227 La. 932, 80 So.2d 869; Gauthier v. Fogleman, La.App., 50 So.2d 321.

Likewise, it cannot be disputed it is the rule in this state that to legally preempt an intersection the motorist on the inferior street must enter at a time that he may reasonably expect to clear same without interfering with oncoming traffic and that a driver does not acquire legal preemption by dashing into an intersection ahead of a motorist on the favored thoroughfare when such other motorist is so near the intersection as to make entry dangerous. Oswalt v. Transcontinental Insurance Company of New York, La.App., 96 So.2d 233; Aucoin v. Houston Fire & Casualty Company, La.App., 44 So.2d 127; Flowers v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America, La.App., 42 So.2d 132; Hooper v. Toye Bros. Yellow Cab Co., La.App., 50 So.2d 829.

In the Oswalt case, supra, we note the following language which we consider peculiarly appropos the case at bar.

“The law of our state (LSA-R.S. 32:237, subds. A and B) is to the effect that when neither street has been specifically designated a right of way street, and when two vehicles approach or enter the intersection at approximately the same time the car approaching from the right shall be favored and shall have the right of way. This rule in this particular case, would give the defendant the right of way. Another" rule of our state is that the person who preempts an intersection shall have the right of way. This rule, however, is based upon the fact that at the time of entering the intersection, the party had a reasonable possibility of clearing the right of way without interfering with oncoming traffic. Certainly under the facts of this case the right of preemption does not apply to the plaintiff. In the Gautreaux case [Gautreaux v. Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Co., La.App., 83 So.2d 667] this court stated as follows:

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Related

Tuger v. Audubon Insurance
152 So. 2d 354 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1963)
Briscoe v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co.
134 So. 2d 128 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
130 So. 2d 60, 1961 La. App. LEXIS 1904, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bickham-v-audubon-insurance-co-lactapp-1961.