Church v. Payne

97 P.2d 819, 36 Cal. App. 2d 382, 1939 Cal. App. LEXIS 61
California Court of Appeal·Decided December 30, 1939·No. Civ. No. 12256·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

McCOMB, J.

From a judgment in favor of defendants after trial before a jury in an action to recover damages for personal injuries received by plaintiff when the bicycle upon which he was riding was struck by an automobile being operated by defendant Marie Payne, plaintiff appeals.

Viewing the evidence most favorable to defendants (respondents), the essential facts are:

February 4, 1938, defendant Marie Payne was operating her automobile in a southerly direction on Harvard Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles. She was traveling between 20 and 25 miles an hour about twelve feet from the west curb line of the boulevard. Plaintiff was traveling in the same direction, about a block and a half ahead of said defendant and from two to three feet from the west curb of the boulevard. Both parties retained their respective speeds, traveling in a straight line, until said defendant was approximately 10 feet behind plaintiff, at which time he suddenly turned to his left in front of the ear being operated by defendant Payne, and the left front of the latter’s car struck the rear guard of plaintiff’s bicycle, causing him to fall to the pavement.

Plaintiff relies for reversal of the judgment on these propositions :

First: There is no substantial evidence to sustain the verdict of the jury and the judgment of the court predicated thereon.

Second: The trial judge committed prejudicial error by his conduct during the trial of the action.

Third: The trial court committed prejudicial error in sustaining objections to evidence offered by plaintiff.

Fourth: The trial court committed prejudicial error m instructing the jury as follows:

1.
‘‘The fact that I instruct you upon the measure of damages which the plaintiff is entitled to recover is not to be taken by you as an intimation that I either believe or do not believe he is entitled to recover damages. It is my duty to instruct you fully upon the law governing every issue in this [385]*385 case. The instructions upon the measure of damages are given you to guide you in fixing the damages which plaintiff is entitled to recover only in the event you believe from the evidence and the instructions I have given you that the plaintiff is entitled to recover. The giving of such instructions is no indication that the court believes or does not believe that the plaintiff is entitled to recover. That is a question for your sole and exclusive determination upon the evidence and the instructions which 1 have given you.”
2.
“Where the operator of a motor vehicle, without negligence on his part is by a sudden emergency placed in a position of imminent peril to himself or to another, without sufficient time in which to determine with certainty the best course to pursue, he is not held to the same accuracy of judgment as is required of him under ordinary circumstances, and is not liable for injuries caused by his machine if an accident occurs, even though a course of action other than that which he pursues might be more judicious, provided he exercises ordinary care in the stress of circumstances to avoid an accident.
“Therefore, if you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant MARIE PAYNE in operating her motor vehicle was, without negligence on her part, placed by a sudden emergency in a position of imminent danger or peril without sufficient time in which to determine with certainty the best course to pursue, she would not be held to the same accuracy of judgment as would be required of her under ordinary circumstances and would not be liable for injuries caused by her machine if an accident occurred, even though a course of action other than that which she actually pursued might have been more judicious provided she exercised ordinary care in the stress of circumstances to avoid an accident.”
3.
“If, from all the evidence in this case, you find that the defendant Marie Payne was operating her automobile in an ordinary, prudent and careful manner and as an ordinary prudent person under all the circumstances would have operated it, then, regardless of dll other questions, your verdict must be against the plaintiff and in favor of the defendants.”
[386]*386 4.
“The mere happening of an accident raises no presumption of negligence and you must not assume nor find, merely because it is undisputed that an accident occurred in which the plaintiff was injured, that the defendants were negligent or that they are legally responsible for the happening of the accident or the result thereof.”
5.
“You are instructed that as a matter of law no liability attaches where the injury results from what is termed an unavoidable and inevitable accident. Therefore, negligence can never be predicated upon a purely accidental occurrence of that type. An accident in law is one that happens without the negligence of any one proximately contributing thereto.”
6.
“If you find from a preponderance of the evidence in this case that the plaintiff’s injuries, if any, resulted from the combined negligence of the plaintiff and the defendant Marie Payne, such combined negligence, if any, both proximately contributing to the happening of the accident, then I charge you the plaintiff cannot recover.”
7.
“You are instructed that Division IX Traffic Laws, Chapter 1, Section 452 of the Vehicle Code, which was in full force at the time and place of the accident herein provided as follows:
“ ‘Traffic Laws Apply to Persons Hiding Bicycles or Animals.
“ ‘Every person riding a bicycle or riding or driving an animal upon a highway is subject to the provisions of this division applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application. ’
“Chapter 8. Section 541 (b) ‘No vehicle in a residence district shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction when any other vehicle is approaching from either direction within two hundred feet, except at an intersection.’
“Chapter 8. Section 544. When Signal Required, ‘(a) No person shall turn a vehicle unless and umtil such movement can be made with reasonable safety and then only after the giving of an appropriate signal in the manner provided [387]*387 herein in the event any other vehicle may be affected by such movement.
“‘(b) Any signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given continuously during the last fifty feet traveled by the vehicle before turning.’
“Section 546. Method of giving signals.

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Church v. Payne, 97 P.2d 819, 36 Cal. App. 2d 382, 1939 Cal. App. LEXIS 61 (Cal. Ct. App. 1939).

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