Brewer v. Copeland

542 P.2d 445, 86 Wash. 2d 58, 1975 Wash. LEXIS 756
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 13, 1975
Docket43472
StatusPublished
Cited by59 cases

This text of 542 P.2d 445 (Brewer v. Copeland) 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
Brewer v. Copeland, 542 P.2d 445, 86 Wash. 2d 58, 1975 Wash. LEXIS 756 (Wash. 1975).

Opinions

Horowitz, J.

This is a host-guest automobile accident case tried to the court. Plaintiff appeals the judgment dismissing her action for damages because of failure to prove gross negligence proximately causing her injuries as required by RCW 46.08.080, Washington’s host-guest statute. The principal question is whether the statute is constitutional. We uphold the statute, find no other errors as assigned and affirm the judgment of dismissal.

The relevant facts are these: At approximately 2 a.m., November 14, 1971, defendant Mark Copeland was driving a car on Newquist Road, a public highway in the Satus area of Yakima County, Washington, with a car full of passengers returning from an evening dancing party all had at[60]*60tended. Plaintiff Brenda Brewer was being driven home. Her status as a nonpaying guest is not disputed.

Proceeding east on the Newquist Road just south of the point where that road intersects with Highway 22, the car approached a gradual curve in the road. The night was dark, and the road surface wet with rain. There were no distracting influences in the car and there were no irregularities in Copeland’s driving. Copeland was unfamiliar with the road. The posted speed limit in the road area under consideration was 50 miles per hour. There was a posted “curve sign” giving notice of an impending curve without other warning of an existing hazard requiring a reduction in the posted speed limit to negotiate the curve. Copeland neither saw the curve sign nor the curve ahead. Unaware of the impending curve, he entered the curve at a speed of 50 miles per hour. Instead of following the curve, he proceeded straight ahead, left the roadway and crashed. Plaintiff was seriously injured. She later brought the instant action against defendant Copeland and Mid-Century Insurance Company, the liability insurance carrier, the latter having claimed the policy did not cover the accident.

The court dismissed plaintiff’s action. It found Copeland guilty of ordinary negligence only and not guilty of gross negligence. She appeals.

Her assignments of error revolve about the issue of gross negligence. RCW 46.08.080 provides:

No person transported by the owner or operator of a motor vehicle as an invited guest or licensee, without payment for such transportation, shall have cause of action for damages against such owner or operator for injuries, death or loss, in case of accident, unless the accident was intentional on the part of the owner or operator, or the result of said owner’s or operator’s gross negligence or intoxication, and unless the proof of the cause of action is corroborated by competent evidence or testimony independent of, or in addition to, the testimony of the parties to the action: Provided, That this section shall not relieve any owner or operator of a motor vehicle [61]*61from liability while it is being demonstrated to a prospective purchaser.[1]

Plaintiff contends the statutory gross negligence requirement denies her equal protection under the federal and state constitutions. U.S. Const, amend 14; Const, art. 1, § 12. In support she advances arguments in many respects similar to those relied on in Brown v. Merlo, 8 Cal. 3d 855, 506 P.2d 212, 106 Cal. Rptr. 388 (1973), invalidating California’s host-guest automobile statute. Those arguments are summarized in Cannon v. Oviatt,............Utah____________, 520 P.2d 883 (1974). The California statute permits a nonpaying automobile guest to recover against his host driver only for “‘. . . the intoxication or willful misconduct of the driver.’ ” Brown v. Merlo, supra at 862 n.3. In that respect, the statute differs from RCW 46.08.080 which also permits recovery for the host driver’s gross negligence.

In contending RCW 46.08.080 violates plaintiff’s equal protection rights, plaintiff undertakes a heavy burden of persuasion. Justice v. Gatchell, 325 A.2d 97, 102 (Del. 1974). She must overcome the presumption of constitutionality beyond a reasonable doubt. Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Washington Life & Disability Ins. Guar. Ass’n, 83 Wn.2d 523, 520 P.2d 162 (1974); State v. Perrigoue, 81 Wn.2d 640, 503 P.2d 1063 (1972); Water Dist. 105 v. State, 79 Wn.2d 337, 485 P.2d 66 (1971). When a statutory classification is challenged, it is presumed that facts sufficient to justify the classification exist. Sonitrol Northwest, Inc. v. Seattle, 84 Wn.2d 588, 528 P.2d 474 (1974); Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Washington Life & Disability Ins. Guar. Ass’n, supra; State v. J-R Distribs., Inc., 82 Wn.2d 584, 512 P.2d 1049 (1973); State v. Persinger, 62 Wn.2d 362, 382 P.2d 497 (1963). Merely challenging the wisdom or expediency of the statute is not enough. Washington State School Directors Ass’n v. Department of Labor & Indus., 82 Wn.2d 367, 510 P.2d [62]*62818 (1973); State v. Conifer Enterprises, Inc., 82 Wn.2d 94, 508 P.2d 149 (1973); State v. Scheffel, 82 Wn.2d 872, 514 P.2d 1052 (1973); Petstel, Inc. v. County of King, 77 Wn.2d 144, 459 P.2d 937 (1969). A change in public opinion concerning the desirability of the statute is insufficient. State v. Grabinski, 33 Wn.2d 603, 206 P.2d 1022 (1949).

If the policy is fairly debatable, the legislative remedy for dealing with the evil involved is within its competence. Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Washington Life & Disability Ins. Guar. Ass’n, supra; State v. Scheffel, supra; Reesman v. State, 74 Wn.2d 646, 445 P.2d 1004 (1968). In dealing with that evil, the legislature is not bound by decisional law or by the doctrine of stare decisis. It may change that law as, for example, the legislature did when it abolished the theretofore existing right of action for gross negligence in host-guest automobile cases (Laws of 1933, ch. 18, p. 145; Shea v. Olson, 185 Wash. 143, 53 P.2d 615, 111 A.L.R. 998 (1936)); and when it later reinstated the right of action for gross negligence by the nonpaying guest against his host (Laws of 1957, ch. 132, p. 484), and then when it repealed the host-guest automobile statute by Laws of 1974, 1st Ex. Sess., ch. 3, p. 2.

Moreover, plaintiff’s burden is not diminished by the fact that Shea v. Olson, supra, upheld Washington’s first host-guest statute (Laws of 1933, ch. 18, p. 145) against an equal protection attack. See also Nogosek v. Truedner, 54 Wn.2d 906, 344 P.2d 1028 (1959). In Freehe v. Freehe, 81 Wn.2d 183, 500 P.2d 771 (1972), the court, in rejecting the argument the abolition of the doctrine of interspousal immunity would encourage fraud, pointed out the legislature could deal with the fraud problem as it had in enacting RCW 46.08.080, .085, and .086 — an indirect recognition of the continued validity of those statutes. Moreover, the majority of the cases in this country have upheld the constitutionality of legislative distinctions between paying and nonpaying guests in automobile host-guest statutes.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Shaheen Rahimzadeh, V. Mahnaz Shiralian
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
In Re: Alexi Mikele Turner, And Michael Matthew Turner
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2023
Spee West Construction Co., V. David Walter
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2022
Ameena Aamer v. Sharief Youssef
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2017
State of Washington v. Wallace Edward Schneider
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2016
Frank Coluccio Construction Co. v. King County
150 P.3d 1147 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2007)
FCCC v. King County
150 P.3d 1147 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2007)
Nguyen v. STATE HEALTH MED. QUALITY ASSUR.
29 P.3d 689 (Washington Supreme Court, 2001)
Nguyen v. Department of Health
144 Wash. 2d 516 (Washington Supreme Court, 2001)
State v. Picard
954 P.2d 336 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1998)
State v. Shawn P.
859 P.2d 1220 (Washington Supreme Court, 1993)
State v. Strauss
832 P.2d 78 (Washington Supreme Court, 1992)
State v. Bryant
828 P.2d 1121 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1992)
Forbes v. City of Seattle
785 P.2d 431 (Washington Supreme Court, 1990)
Sofie v. Fibreboard Corp.
780 P.2d 260 (Washington Supreme Court, 1989)
American Network, Inc. v. Utilities & Transportation Commission
776 P.2d 950 (Washington Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Thomas
730 P.2d 117 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
542 P.2d 445, 86 Wash. 2d 58, 1975 Wash. LEXIS 756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brewer-v-copeland-wash-1975.