Chicago Union Traction Co. v. Browdy

108 Ill. App. 177, 1903 Ill. App. LEXIS 111
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 28, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 108 Ill. App. 177 (Chicago Union Traction Co. v. Browdy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago Union Traction Co. v. Browdy, 108 Ill. App. 177, 1903 Ill. App. LEXIS 111 (Ill. Ct. App. 1903).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Adams

delivered the opinion of the court.

Appellee sued appellant for damages resulting from injury to his person by a collision between one of appellant’s electric motors and appellee’s wagon, which appellee was driving, the collision having occurred, as appellee avers, by reason of appellant’s negligence. Appellee recovered judgment for $2,500. Appellant’s counsel rely solely on alleged errors in instructions, and omit all discussion of the fundamental facts in the case, thereby waiving such questions of fact, and warranting us in assuming that, at the time of the accident, the appellee was exercising ordinary care; that he was injured by reason of appellant’s negligence, as averred in the declaration, and that the sum awarded as damages is not excessive. It must be presumed that appellant’s counsel has omitted discussion of these facts for the reason that the evidence furnishes no basis for their discussion adverse to appellee. If the evidence proves that appellee exercised ordinary care, and was injured by appellant’s negligence, as averred in the declaration, and if the sum awarded as damages is not excessive, the Verdict could not have been other than it was dn the merits, and a discussion of the instructions would seem to be merely academic and of no practical benefit in the case. Complaint is made of the following instructions, given at the appellee’s request:

"2. The court instructs the jury that if you find for plaintiff you will be required to determine the amount of his damages. In. determining the amount of damages plaintiff is entitled to recover in this case, if any, the jury have a right to and they should take into consideration ail the facts and circumstances as shown by the evidence before them pertaining to his injuries; the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s physical injuries, if any, so far as the same are shown by the evidence; his suffering in body and in mind, if any, resulting from such physical injuries, and such future suffering and loss of health, if any, as the jury may believe from the evidence before them in this case he has" sustained or will sustain by reason of such injuries; his loss of time and inability to work and transact business, if any, on account of such injuries, and such future loss of time and inability to work, if any, which the jury may believe from the evidence he will sustain on account of said injuries; all moneys necessarily liable for doctor’s bills, if any, while being treated for such injuries; and may find for him such sum as in the judgment of the jury from the evidence and under the instructions of the court in this case, will be a fair compensation for the injuries he has sustained, or will sustain, if any, so far as such damages are claimed and alleged in the declaration.”
“ 8. The court instructs the jury that if from the evidence and under the instructions of the court you find the issues herein in favor of the plaintiff, then, although you may believe from the evidence that the plaintiff was at and before the time of the accident herein complained of, suffering from any sickness or disability, still if you further believe and find from a preponderance of the evidence that he was injured by and through the negligence of the defendant, as charged in the declaration, and that such injuries, if any, developed and aggravated his previous sickness or disability and caused plaintiff increased suffering, sickness and disability, if any, then the jury, in assessing plaintiff’s damages, if any, have the right to and they should take into consideration such increased suffering, sickness and disability, if any, that the jury may believe from the evidence before them in this case plaintiff has sustained and in the future will sustain, if any, on account of such increased sickness and disability, if any.”

Counsel for appellant also complain of the refusal of the court to give its instructions 9 and 11, and the modification of instruction 12. Instructions 9 and 11 are as follows:

“ 9. The court instructs the jury that if they believe from the evidence in the case that, while the defendant and its servants were, if they were, exercising ordinary care, the plaintiff at the time and place of the injury suddenly and unexpectedly, and without the knowledge of the defendant, drove his wagon across and upon defendant’s track and thereby placed himself in a position of danger, then, in order to charge the defendant with a duty to avoid injuring him, the plaintiff must show by a preponderance of the evidence in the case that the circumstances were of such character that the defendant’s servant or servants had an opportunity to become conscious of the facts giving rise to such duty, and a reasonable opportunity in the exercise of ordinary care and caution, to perform such duty. And if the jury further believe from the evidence that the facts as shown by the evidence did not charge the defendant and its servants with a duty as thus defined, or, if the jury believe from the evidence that the defendant and its servants did not have a reasonable opportunity, in the exercise of ordinary care, to perform such duty as thus defined, then they should find the defendant not guilty. And if the jury believe from the evidence in the case that the plaintiff suddenly and unexpectedly drove his wagon across and upon the track, in front of the car of the defendant, which occasioned the injury, and that the servant or servants in charge of such car did all that could be done in the exercise of ordinary care to avoid injuring and damaging him, then the plaintiff can not recover in this case, and the jury should find the defendant not guilty.”
“ 11. The issues you are sworn to try in this case are as follows:
Was the electric car which collided with the wagon in question carelessly, negligently and improperly driven by the servants of the defendant ?
Did the servant or servants of defendant in charge of the electric car know that plaintiff was in a position of peril in time to have stopped the car in time to avoid the collision by the use of reasonable care on their part ?
Could the servant or servants of defendant in charge of the electric car by the use of reasonable care have known that the-plaintiff was in a position of peril in time to have stopped the electric car before the .collision %
Was the plaintiff at and just before the time of the collision using reasonable care and caution for his own safety ?
If you conclude that the greater weight of the evidence does not show that the plaintiff was using such care and caution for his own safety, you need not concern yourselves with the other issues, because in no event can the plaintiff be entitled to recover a verdict unless it has been shown by the greater weight of the evidence that such care and caution was used bv the plaintiff. And if you' do find from the greater weight of the evidence that such care and caution was used by plaintiff, you will examine the evidence bearing upon the other issues, and if you do not find that the greater weight of the evidence, taken as a whole, will warrant you in answering one or more of them in the affirmative, you should find the defendant not guilty.”

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Related

Pittman v. Duggan
84 N.E.2d 701 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1949)
Chicago Union Traction Co. v. Lawrence
113 Ill. App. 269 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1904)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
108 Ill. App. 177, 1903 Ill. App. LEXIS 111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-union-traction-co-v-browdy-illappct-1903.