Chase v. Burley

76 So. 2d 587
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 1, 1954
Docket8235
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 76 So. 2d 587 (Chase v. Burley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chase v. Burley, 76 So. 2d 587 (La. Ct. App. 1954).

Opinion

76 So.2d 587 (1954)

Mrs. Ethel P. CHASE et al., Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Mrs. Joyce BURLEY et al., Defendants-Appellants.

No. 8235.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

December 1, 1954.
Rehearing Denied January 4, 1955.

*588 Cotton & Bolton, Rayville, for Mrs. Joyce Burley.

Theus, Grisham, Davis & Leigh, Monroe, for Mrs. Azelia B. Chase.

Anders & Anders, Winnsboro, for Mrs. Ethel P. Chase.

HARDY, Judge.

This is a suit by Mrs. Ethel P. Chase and husband, David L. Chase, for the recovery, respectively, of damages for personal injury and for medical expenses incurred and to be incurred resulting from an automobile accident. Made defendants were Mrs. Azelia B. Chase, daughter-in-law of plaintiffs, and her insurer, Manufacturers Casualty Insurance Company, and Mrs. Joyce T. Burley and her insurer, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. After trial there was judgment in favor of plaintiff, Mrs. Ethel P. Chase, against defendant, Mrs. Azelia B. Chase, in the amount of $5,000, and against defendant, Manufacturer's Casualty Insurance Company in the amount of $3,500. There was further judgment in favor of plaintiff, David L. Chase, against defendant, Mrs. Azelia B. Chase, in the amount of $2,500, and against Manufacturer's Casualty Insurance Company in the amount of $1,500. The judgment rejected plaintiffs' claims against Mrs. Burley and her insurer. From the judgment defendants have appealed, both suspensively and devolutively, and plaintiffs have perfected a devolutive appeal.

This action arose from an automobile collision which occurred within the corporate limits of the Town of Winnsboro between 5:00 and 5:30 P.M. on October 20, 1952, at the intersection of Pine and Front Streets. A Ford sedan driven by Mrs. Azelia Chase, with Mrs. Ethel P. Chase and the latter's young daughter, who was fortunately uninjured, as passengers, moving south on Pine Street, entered and proceeded to cross Front Street, it being intended by the driver to turn south thereon. A Chevrolet sedan driven by Mrs. Burley west on Front Street collided with the Chase vehicle, the point of impact being the left front of the Burley car and the left side of the Chase automobile. Front Street is shown to be that part of Louisiana State Highway 15 located within the corporate limits of the Town of Winnsboro, and some 150 feet, more or less, *589 east of the Pine Street intersection Highway 15, or Front Street, widens from a two-lane to a four-lane highway. For the purpose of this opinion the respective lanes of the highway from north to south are numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. Pine Street intersects Front Street at an acute angle from the north by reason of the fact that Front Street along a gradual curve for a considerable distance veers appreciably to the north, its direction at the intersection being approximately northeast. About 20 feet north of Front Street, on the west side of Pine, a Stop sign is located, but it is observed from a plat introduced in evidence that the east curb line of Pine Street curving to the south projects some 60 feet farther before reaching the intersection. At the point where the east curb line of Pine Street actually meets the north boundary of Front Street there is located a gravel parking area in front of the Bankston Grocery Store and in this parking area there is a rather large bait box and a mulberry tree approximately six inches in diameter, both of which somewhat obstruct a view down the highway to the east.

From the above description and the showing made on the plat of other obstructions to the view, it is obvious that the driver of a vehicle who brings the same to a stop at or near the Stop sign is unable to obtain a view along Front Street to the east, the direction from which the Burley car was approaching the intersection, and we feel this to be an important element for consideration in the instant case.

We think the preponderance of the testimony shows that Mrs. Ethel Chase did come to a stop at about the location of the Stop sign and then proceeded into the intersection without observing the approach of the Burley car until she was in its path. The Chase car was moving at a slow rate of speed, but it is indicated that, perceiving the Burley car shortly before the impact, Mrs. Chase attempted to accelerate the speed of the car in order to complete the crossing of Front Street. Two important facts in connection with the accident are the subject of violent dispute by reason of a serious conflict in testimony. Differing estimates of the speed of the Burley car by witnesses ranged from 25 to 60 miles per hour. The actual point of collision on Front Street is variously fixed by the witnesses as having occurred in Lane 2 or Lane 3 or Lane 4.

Proceeding to a consideration of these disputed factors we note that Mrs. Burley testified that she was driving at a speed of 25 to 35 miles per hour. Mrs. Chase testified that the Burley car was moving at a speed of 60 miles per hour; the witness, Bankston, testified that the speed was in the neighborhood of 45 or 50 miles per hour, and the witness, Adams, testified to the speed as being about 40 miles per hour. At the time of the accident Bankston was in front of his store, located as above set forth, and Adams was in front of a service station located to the northwest of the intersection and even further removed from the scene of the accident.

Plaintiffs charge negligence against Mrs. Azelia B. Chase, driver of the Ford automobile, in failure to see what should have been seen, that is, the approach of the Burley automobile, and in driving into a favored street at an intersection without assurance that she could clear the path of oncoming traffic. As against the defendant, Mrs. Burley, plaintiffs charge negligence in failing to keep a proper lookout, in driving at an excessive rate of speed, and in crossing the center line of the highway when she could have avoided the accident by remaining in either Lane 1 or 2 thereof. It is contended on behalf of the defendant, Mrs. Burley, that the sole and proximate cause of the accident was due to the negligence of Mrs. Azelia B. Chase in driving into the main highway without observing traffic and without ascertaining if she could safely enter and turn upon the said highway. The defendant, Mrs. Azelia Chase, joins in the charges of negligence made by Mrs. Ethel P. Chase against Mrs. Burley and rests upon the same as being the sole cause of the accident.

There appears to be no serious contention as to the right of plaintiffs to recover against one or both of the defendants, drivers of the automobiles involved.

*590 We think the evidence conclusively establishes the negligence of Mrs. Ethel P. Chase in failing to see what could and should have been seen, in this instance the approach of the Burley automobile. Conceding that Mrs. Chase brought her car to a stop at the Stop sign, it is nonetheless clear that from this position she could not make any sort of observation for traffic approaching from the east on Front Street, and we think it is further established that she failed to make any additional effort of observation in this direction. There is no question, even according to her own testimony, but that Mrs. Chase knew Front Street to be a highly favored highway and that all traffic on intersecting streets was required to stop before entering same.

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Bluebook (online)
76 So. 2d 587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chase-v-burley-lactapp-1954.