Bleiler v. Wolff

161 P.2d 145, 23 Wash. 2d 368, 1945 Wash. LEXIS 254
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 26, 1945
DocketNo. 29590.
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 161 P.2d 145 (Bleiler v. Wolff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bleiler v. Wolff, 161 P.2d 145, 23 Wash. 2d 368, 1945 Wash. LEXIS 254 (Wash. 1945).

Opinion

Jeffers, J.

This action was originally instituted by Violet Bleiler, as guardian ad litem of Dolph Bleiler, her minor son, against Philip A. Wolff, doing business as Wolff Cleaners, to recover damages for personal injuries received by Dolph, and for damages to the car being operated by him, as the result of a collision between the car being operated by Dolph and a car owned and operated by Philip Wolff. The complaint charges Mr. Wolff with the following acts *370 of negligence: Driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failing to accord the right- of way to plaintiff.

Defendant by his answer put in issue the material allegations of the complaint, and alleged affirmatively that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence, because he failed to use ordinary care and caution for his own safety, in that he failed to keep a proper lookout for vehicles, failed to take heed of defendant’s approaching automobile, operated his automobile on the wrong side of the street and at a negligent and unlawful rate of speed, to wit, in excess of twenty-five miles per hour, and failed to have upon the automobile he was operating special attachments to the clutch and brake pedals.

The accident occurred within the intersection of Twelfth avenue south and Sullivan street, in the city of Seattle.

The cause was tried to the court without a jury, and thereafter, on October 13, 1944, the court made and entered findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment. From the facts found, the court concluded that defendant was negligent in driving his automobile at the time of the -accident, and that plaintiff was not guilty of contributory negligence. Judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff and against defendant for the total sum of $2,137. The judgment also -awarded to Violet Bleiler, in her individual capacity (the testimony showing that she was the owner of the car plaintiff was driving), judgment in the sum of $175 for damage to the car. Defendant filed a motion for new trial, which was denied. Defendant has appealed to this court from the judgment entered.

Appellant assigns error (1) upon the failure of the trial court to find that Dolph Bleiler, the minor, was guilty of contributory negligence, in that (a) he failed to operate his car to the right of the center of the street, (b) he failed to sound his horn or stop, (c) he failed to have his automobile equipped with the attachments required by his operator’s license and failed to have his car under control; (2) upon the entry by the court of judgment in favor of the guardian ad litem and the entry of judgment in favor of *371 Violet Bleiler individually; and (3) upon the denial of appellant’s motion for a new trial.

We shall give a general picture of the situation leading up to the accident, and shall discuss more in detail the evidence in connection with our discussion of the assignments of error.

The accident occurred about eight o’clock on the evening of June 19, 1943, within the intersection of Twelfth avenue south and Sullivan street. The latter street runs east and west, and Twelfth avenue south runs north and south. Each of these streets has a width of twenty-five feet from curb to curb, and both are paved. The pavement was dry, the evening was clear, and it was still light at the time the accident occurred. There is a house and shrubbery in the southeast corner of Sullivan and Twelfth avenue, which obscures the view east on Sullivan street as one driving north on Twelfth avenue approaches the intersection, until one gets close to the intersection. The view south on Twelfth avenue is also obstructed as one approaches the intersection driving west on Sullivan street.

While there is some dispute in the testimony, we shall assume, as testified by appellant, that just prior to the accident there were cars parked all along the south side of Sullivan street just east of its intersection with Twelfth avenue, which further obstructed the view east on Sullivan of one approaching the intersection from the south. While there is also some dispute as to this fact, there is testimony to the effect that there were cars parked on the north side of Sullivan street east of the intersection. Neither of the streets involved is an arterial.

When speaking of respondent, it will be understood we are referring to the minor, Dolph Bleiler, except where we discuss the question of whether or not the court erred in according damages to Violet Bleiler for damage to her car.

Respondent, who was eighteen years of age, was driving west on Sullivan street in what is described as a British Austin, which is a little heavier than an American Austin. He was on his way home from Boeing’s, where he worked. Riding in the seat with respondent was his cousin, Elmer *372 Sanford. Respondent had picked up two other boys, one of whom was riding on the running board and the other in the space back of the seat on the inside of the car. Somewhere between one hundred fifty and two hundred feet east of the intersection, respondent either stopped or slowed down, and the boy on the running board and the one in the back of the car got out. We think the facts show almost conclusively that, after the two boys got off respondent’s car, he proceeded in second gear at about fifteen miles per hour toward the intersection.

Respondent first saw the Wolff car when he was about twenty feet from the intersection, at which time the Wolff car, according to respondent’s testimony, was about fifty feet south of the intersection, coming north on Twelfth ave; nue. Respondent continued to watch the Wolff car until he (respondent) saw that appellant was not going to stop and that a collision was imminent, when he attempted to swerve to the right, or north. Respondent’s car was hit on the left side, turned completely around, and finally came to rest against the curb at the northwest corner of the intersection. The Austin car was partly turned over, and respondent was thrown partly out of the car and seriously injured. Appellant’s car, being much heavier, was hardly damaged at all, and appellant was not injured.

At this time, we desire to state only that appellant testified that, as he approached the intersection, he was going about ten or twelve miles per hour; that the first time he looked east on Sullivan street was when he was in the -intersection, the rear of his car being about even with the south curb of Sullivan street; that, at this time, he could see one hundred feet up the north side of Sullivan street, and that he saw no car approaching on Sullivan street. This intersection being only twenty-five feet wide, it will be ob-r served that, when appellant first looked to the east, the front end of his car must have been within three or four feet of the center of the intersection, considered from south to north. Appellant further testified that, the next he knew, the Austin car was right on him on the right; that he tried to turn.his car to the.right but could not clear the' Austifr, *373 and struck it on the left side; that the impact occurred about three feet east of the center of the intersection.

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Bluebook (online)
161 P.2d 145, 23 Wash. 2d 368, 1945 Wash. LEXIS 254, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bleiler-v-wolff-wash-1945.