Buddenberg v. Morgan

38 N.E.2d 287, 110 Ind. App. 609, 1941 Ind. App. LEXIS 68
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided December 23, 1941·No. No. 16,466.·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

Blessing, J.

On the 17th day of December, 1934, Marian Wilson Morgan, with her two daughters, Mary D. Morgan, aged eighteen years, who was driving the car, and another daughter of very tender years were returning from the State of New York to her home in Denvef. They were traveling in an Oldsmobile, and while traveling westwardly on Federal Highway No. 50, near the town of Dillsboro, Indiana, the appellant, through his agent, servant and employee was operating a Gulf gasoline truck over said highway in an eastwardly direction. A collision occurred between these vehicles; and as a result thereof, all of the occupants of both vehicles were killed instantly or died within a few hours from the time of the accident, except the small daughter of Mrs. Morgan. There were: no eyewitnesses to this collision and terrible tragedy.

Subsequently, the appellee, as executor of the estate of Marian Wilson Morgan, deceased, brought this action to recover damages for the wrongful death of Marian Wilson Morgan, who left surviving her, her husband, Harry L. Morgan, Elizabeth Morgan, a daughter 16 years of age, a daughter, Nancy Morgan, 14 years of age, and her daughter, Alice Morgan, 5 years of age. The complaint was in one paragraph. A motion was directed to this complaint to strike out certain parts thereof, which was overruled; and this ruling of the *616 court is made a separate assignment of error in this appeal. The issues were closed by the filing of a general denial on the behalf of appellant, and the case was tried to a jury. A verdict resulted in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $7,000. A motion for new trial was filed, which was overruled; and this ruling of the court constitutes the second and remaining assignment of error. The specifications set forth in the motion for new trial are:

1. Error of the court in sustaining a challenge for cause to a prospective juror.
2. The verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence.
3. The verdict of the jury is contrary to law.
4. Errors of law occurring at the trial and duly excepted to by the defendant, involving rulings upon the admissibility of evidence, motions to strike out, exceptions to instructions given and refused, and the ruling of the court upon motions, both at the close of plaintiff’s evidence and at the close of all of the evidence, for a peremptory instruction directing the jury to return a verdict for the defendant. The specific allegations of negligence charged in the complaint are that the. appellant’s servant and agent was operating a truck at the time of the collision at a reckless and dangerous rate of speed, to wit, sixty miles per hour, and at the time of said accident was operating said truck upon his left-hand side of said U. S. Highway No. 50; also that he carelessly and negligently ran said truck into the automobile occupied by appellee’s decedent and her two daughters.

The complaint is not attacked except for the motion to strike out parts thereof. The complaint alleged that defendant “is the owner and proprietor of a Gulf Bulk oil station,” and in connection with said business, *617 “he did, on the 17th day of December, 1934, own, control and operate several oil trucks in connection with his said business.” A further allegation of the complaint charged that the servant and agent of the appellant was then and there operating and driving said International truck upon said U. S. Highway No. 50 at a high and dangerous rate of speed, “while in an intoxicated condition,” and upon a highway that was much used for traffic; “and that he was in such an intoxicated condition that he was unable to control said truck and to operate the same with due regard for the safety of others using said public highway.” The complaint also charged as follows: That said John Buddenberg had been in the employ of his brother, Fred Buddenberg, for several years prior to the 17th day of December, 1934, and “that said defendant, Fred Buddenberg, knew that his brother, John Buddenberg, who was driving his truck for him, as his agent, servant and employee, was in the habit of becoming intoxicated, and was not safe to be permitted to operate motor vehicle upon the public highways of the State of Indiana, but notwithstanding, he did permit his brother to operate said International truck on December 17, 1934. while in an intoxicated condition, and by reason of the carelessness and negligence of the said Fred Buddenberg in employing his brother, John Buddenberg, who he well knew was an habitual drunkard and not a proper person to hire as a driver of trucks on the public highway,” and by reason of the carelessness and negligence of the servant and employee of said defendant, as herein alleged, Marian Wilson Morgan was killed in said collision which said collision and the death of Marian Wilson Morgan was not caused by any act of the decedent contributing thereto.

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Buddenberg v. Morgan, 38 N.E.2d 287, 110 Ind. App. 609, 1941 Ind. App. LEXIS 68 (Ind. Ct. App. 1941).

38 N.E.2d 287 (Buddenberg v. Morgan) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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