Carero v. Breslin

128 A. 883, 3 N.J. Misc. 507, 1925 N.J. Sup. Ct. LEXIS 197
CourtSupreme Court of New Jersey
DecidedMay 5, 1925
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 128 A. 883 (Carero v. Breslin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carero v. Breslin, 128 A. 883, 3 N.J. Misc. 507, 1925 N.J. Sup. Ct. LEXIS 197 (N.J. 1925).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

The above cases are before us on rules to show cause allowed to the defendant. The actions were tried at the Mon[508]*508mouth Circuit. Both suits arose out of an antomobile accident occurring between the hours of eight and nine p. m. (daylight-saving timé), oar July 5th, 1924.

Anton B. Carero and Ethel Lloyd owned jointly an Oaklaaid touring car. On the evening in question Ethel Lloyd invited her father and mother for a ride. The occupants of the car were Carero, Ethel Lloyd, Clarence Lloyd and Ann Lloyd. The car was being driven by Ethel Lloyd on the road extending from Freehold to Matawan. This road runs approximately north and south. The car was being driven northwardly. About six or seven miles north of Freehold this highway is crossed by a highway leading to Holmdel. The road from Freehold to Matawan is an improved concrete road. The intersecting highway is also an improved road as far as the Freehold road. West of the Freehold road it is not improved. The southeast corner of the two roads is cut away in a long curve, which permits cars to turn the curve at considerable speed. As the ear being driven by Ethel Lloyd was approaching this corner, the car of the defendant, Thomas J. Breslin, was being driven westwardly by his daughter, a girl of about eighteen years of age. The Breslin car was on its way to Camden via Freehold. It was therefore necessary for Miss Breslin to turn to the left into the road to Freehold. The occupants of the car driven by Miss Lloyd testified that the car in which they were ridiiag was being -driven carefully and slowly, close to the right-hand side of the road. The view down the Holmdel road was somewhat obstructed by a field of growing grass. Suddenly the Breslin car turned around the corner, close to the wall on the left. Miss Lloyd, when she saw the Breslin car, thinking that she might avoid the accident, turned her car to the left. The Breslin ear struck the car driven by Miss Lloyd near the right-hand front wheel. Both cars went over to the west side of the Freehold road. The Breslin car (a Cadillac) cleared the road and landed in the shrubbery on the westerly side of the road. None of the occupants of the Breslin car, who were Miss Breslin, her father, Thomas J. Breslin, Mrs. Breslin, and Dr. [509]*509James Breslin, a brother of the owner of the car, appear to have been seriously injured. All of the occupants of the car driven by Miss Lloyd, with the exception of Carero, were injured. These injuries will be referred to later.

Carero and Miss Lloyd instituted an action against Thomas J. Breslin for damages to their car. In this action Miss Lloyd also sued to recover damages for the personal injuries which she had received. Clarence Lloyd and Ann Lloyd instituted another action against Mr. Breslin to recover damages for the personal injuries which they had received. Carero obtained a verdict for $200. Miss Lloyd received a verdict for $3,500. Clarence Lloyd was awarded $10,000 and Ann Lloyd $2,000.

The first point argued under the rules for the defendant is that the trial judge should have nonsuited the plaintiffs. We think the trial judge ruled properly in refusing to grant a motion to nonsuit. The evidence given by the occupants of the Lloyd car has been referred to. From their testimony there was evidence of negligence upon the part of the driver of the Breslin car. This consisted principally of the speed at which the car was being driven and the manner in which the car made the left-hand turn, it being kept close to the southeast corner instead of being driven out to the centre of the Freehold road and making a wide turn. A trial court, in passing upon a motion to nonsuit, must refuse to grant the same if there be evidence offered by the plaintiff from which the jury can find negligence on the part of the defendant. This was the situation in the present case. The defendants, of course, presented contradictory testimony, namely, that the Cadillac car in which they were riding was going slowly on the proper side of the road, and was run into from the left by the car driven by Miss Lloyd, which was being operated at a speed of forty miles an hour. It was for the jun' to pass upon the testimony presented.

The second point urged is that there should have been a nonsuit against Ethel Lloyd and Carero, because Ethel Lloyd was guilty of contributory negligence. This was a jury ques[510]*510tion from the evidence, which has just been stated. The motion on this ground was properly denied.

The third point argued by the defendant is that verdicts should have been directed in favor of the defendant. What has been said with reference to the motion of nonsuit applies equally to this motion. The trial court ruled properly in refusing to direct verdicts for the defendant.

The fourth point argued by the defendant is with reference'to a portion of the charge of the trial court. The trial judge told the jury that Mr. Breslin, the owner of the car, was the person who was responsible for the acts of his daughter, who was driving the car. It is claimed that this was error. .There is no dispute as to these facts. We think this portion of the charge of the trial judge was correct. Miss Breslin was driving the defendant’s ear, and was driving it his convenience. •

. The fffth point argued deals with the refusal- of the trial court to charge a request that “if the plaintiffs were connected in a common enterprise there could be no recovery against the defendant, even if the driver of the defendant’s car was negligent, provided Miss Lloyd was negligent. It •will be observed that this request was general and applied to all the plaintiffs. The evidence was that the parents of Miss Lloyd were mere guests. There was np evidence that they were in any common enterprise. It was therefore proper for the court to refuse to charge the request. The trial judge did charge that Carero was affected by any negligence of Miss Lloyd. This was all that the defendant was entitled to.

The sixth contention made in behalf of the defendant deals with the refusal of the court to charge the following request: “Eor an invitee passenger in an automobile to recover damages the evidence must preponderate to show that the accident was not caused by the sole negligence of the driver of plaintiff’s automobile.”- This point is fully covered in the charge of the trial court. The trial judge told the jury that the plaintiffs to succeed must establish by a fair preponderance of evidence that the defendant was negligent, and that such negligence was the proximate cause of the accident.

[511]*511The seventh point in the defendant’s argument deals with the refusal of the court to charge the following request: “If the defendant’s automobile was the first to reach the street intersection there it had the right of way, and if the accident was caused by the fact that the plaintiffs’ automobile did not yield the right of wa}g your verdict must be no cause of action.” This is an inaccurate statement of the law. The request is too broad. While the traffic act gives the right of way to the car approaching on the right, yet this right of way cannot be exercised under all conditions. In refusing to charge this request the trial judge ruled correctly.

The eighth point made in behalf of the defendant is a criticism of the following portion of the court’s charge, to wit: “Such negligence upon her part would defeat her [Miss Lloyd’s] right to recover, but not the right of her passengers, her father and mother.

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Bluebook (online)
128 A. 883, 3 N.J. Misc. 507, 1925 N.J. Sup. Ct. LEXIS 197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carero-v-breslin-nj-1925.