Canales v. Bank of California

316 S.W.2d 314, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2221
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 12, 1958
Docket3390
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 316 S.W.2d 314 (Canales v. Bank of California) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Canales v. Bank of California, 316 S.W.2d 314, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2221 (Tex. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

GRISSOM, Chief Justice.

The Bank of California, as the executor of the estate of Virginia Ridgeway and for the use and benefit of Virginia Nash, her daughter, sued Roberto Canales for damages. It alleged tliat Mrs. Ridgeway was a passenger in an automobile which was driven by her husband, T. C. Ridgeway, south on farm road 494 near Mission, Texas; that at its intersection with farm road 676, road 494 was a through highway; that there were stop signs at the southwest and northeast corners of 676 at such intersection; that after the Ridgeway automobile entered said intersection and was about three-fourths through it was struck on its right front by an automobile driven east by Canales; that the Ridgeway automobile was knocked one hundred and fifty feet southeast of the intersection; that Mrs. Ridgeway was thrown to the pavement, causing a fractured skull and other injuries from which she “died immediately”. The Bank alleged Canales did not stop or slow his car but drove east into the intersection in excess of 55 miles per hour, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop at the stop sign, as required by Article 6701d, § 73(b), failed to yield the right of way and failed to apply his brakes in time to avoid striking the Ridgeway car; that, as a result, the Bank paid or became obligated to pay $774.32 and $162, respectively, to two funeral homes and that Mrs. Ridgeway suffered mental and physical pain and anguish to plaintiff’s damage in the sum of $15,000; that Mrs. Ridgeway was sixty-two and had a life expectancy of thirteen years; that her daughter, Virginia Nash, was twenty-six and in poor financial circumstances; that for five years Mrs. Ridgeway had contributed $500 per year to her support and would have continued to do so and that Virginia Nash had thereby been damaged $6,500.

Velma Fox and Hazel Siler, daughters of Mr. Ridgeway, as administratrices of his estate, sued Canales for damages resulting from his death. They alleged that Ridgeway was driving south on road 494 when the collision occurred; that Canales was driving east on road 676; that Canales attempted to drive through said intersection when it was already occupied by the Ridge-way automobile; that he drove into said intersection at 55 miles per hour, without stopping at the stop sign; that Mrs. Ridge-way was killed “instantly” and Mr. Ridge-way died six weeks later and that his automobile was wrecked and was a total loss. Said plaintiffs alleged the collision was caused by the negligence of Canales in failing to stop before entering the intersection, driving at an excessive speed and failing to keep a proper lookout for vehicles approaching or in said intersection before so driving into it.

Said plaintiffs alleged Canales was es-topped from denying that his conduct was negligent and unlawful because he had pleaded guilty to a charge of negligent homicide in connection with said collision. They sought to recover the expenses of doctors, nurses, the funeral, transportation of the body to Washington, their expenses and damage to Mr. Ridgeway’s automobile. *316 They alleged that Mr. Ridgeway lived for six weeks after the collision and that during most of that time he was “conscious” and suffered excruciating mental and physical pain, for which they sought $20,000 damages.

Canales answered that the collision was caused by the negligence of Mr. Ridgeway; that Canales was confronted with a sudden emergency not caused by his negligence and under the circumstances he acted as a reasonably prudent person and did everything possible to avoid the collision. He also alleged the collision was the result of an unavoidable accident.

Said cases were consolidated and submitted to a jury. It found that (1) Canales failed to keep a proper lookout which was (2) a proximate cause of the collision; that he (3) failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection and this (4) was negligence and (5) a proximate cause of the collision and that (6) Canales failed to yield the right of way and (7) this was negligence and (8) a proximate cause of the collision. The jury found that (12) T. C. Ridgeway was not operating his vehicle at an excessive speed.

Issues 16, 17, 18 and 19, the instructions in connection therewith, and the jury’s answers thereto are as follows:

“Special Issue No. 16:
“What sum of money, if any, if paid now in cash, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, would reasonably compensate Plaintiff, Bank of California, N.A., as the Executor of the Estate of Virginia Ridgeway, deceased, for the injuries and damages, if any, sustained by Virginia Ridgeway, proximately caused by the happening of the collision in question? Answer in dollars and cents.
“We, the Jury, answer: $9,435.00.
“In connection with the foregoing issue, you may take into consideration funeral expenses, if any, physical and mental pain and suffering by her, if any, from the time of the collision until her death, and the loss of earnings to her estate, if any, by reason of her death.
“Special Issue No. 17:
“What amount of money, if any, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, would, if paid now in cash, reasonably compensate Plaintiffs, Velma Fox and Hazel Siler, as Joint Administratrices of the Estate of T. C. Ridgeway, deceased, for the reasonably necessary expenses incurred by them on account of the injuries and death of T. C. Ridgeway?
“Answer in dollars and cents.
“We, the Jury, answer: $4,425.00.
“Special Issue No. 18:
“What amount of money, if any, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, would, if paid now in cash, reasonably compensate Plaintiffs, Velma Fox and Hazel Siler, as Joint Ad-ministratrices of the Estate of T. C. Ridgeway, deceased, for mental and physical pain suffered by T. C. Ridge-way as a result of his injuries and death ?
“Answer in dollars and cents.
“We, the Jury, answer: $10,000.00.
“In arriving at and in determining your answer to the foregoing question, you will take into consideration and allow to said Joint Administratrices whatever sum of money, if paid now, would represent the fair and reasonable value as compensation for mental and physical pain consciously suffered by T. C. Ridgeway between the time when he received his injuries and the time of his death from such injuries. You must not take into consideration, nor allow any sum to Plaintiffs, for their grief and sorrow suffered on account of decedent’s death or loss of his society, *317 affection and companionship; nor are you to take into consideration any loss of pecuniary contributions or advice and counsel, or anything other than such conscious pain and suffering as you may have found, if any.
“Special Issue No. 19:
“What amount of money, if any, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, would, if paid now in cash, reasonably compensate the Plaintiffs, Velma Fox and Hazel Siler as Joint Administratrices of the Estate of T. C. Ridgeway, deceased, for the damage, if any, to the 1951 Ford automobile driven by T. C.

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Bluebook (online)
316 S.W.2d 314, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2221, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/canales-v-bank-of-california-texapp-1958.