Cook v. Fogarty

39 L.R.A. 488, 103 Iowa 500
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 26, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 39 L.R.A. 488 (Cook v. Fogarty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cook v. Fogarty, 39 L.R.A. 488, 103 Iowa 500 (iowa 1897).

Opinion

Robinson, J.

In the evening of August 20, 1890, the plaintiff was riding a bicycle from Grand Junction westward towards Jefferson, on a public highway, and when midway between the two towns met the defendant, who was in a buggy drawn by one horse, and was driving from Jefferson to Grand Junction. At the moment of meeting, a collision occurred between the plaintiff and the horse of the defendant and a shaft of his buggy, which caused the damages for which the plaintiff seeks to recover. The plaintiff claims that he called to the defendant as they were about to meet, and finally dismounted from his wheel, and stood with it by the roadside; but that, in consequence of the negligent and careless driving of defendant, his horse jumped to the side of the road, and into- the wheel, destroying it, and causing a buggy shaft to strike the plaintiff in the breast, thereby knocking him down, and bruising him and tearing' his clothes! The defendant admits the collision, but denies all negligence on his part, and alleges that he exercised due care; that the accident occurred in the night time, when it was so dark that a man approaching on a bicycle without a light or signal of. any kind could not be readily seen; and that the defendant did not see or know of the plaintiff’s approach until the collison occurred. The defendant further avers that the plaintiff traveled without a signal light, and was negligent in not carrying a light or in some manner warning the defendant of his approach, or in not turning out of the highway to avoid the horse and buggy.

[503]*5032 [502]*502I. The appellant contends that chapter 70 of the Acts' of the Twenty-fifth General Assembly, under which the jury was drawn, is unconstitutional, because it is provided in section 4 thereof that in preparing the lists and ballots containing the names of persons who' are to constitute the jury list “the name of each alternate juror on the list from cities and [503]*503towns where the courts are held shall be deposited in a box to be known as the talesman box and not in the first box.” It is said this provison violates both the constitution of the United States and of this state, but the part violated is not pointed out. In the absence of a more satisfactory argument on this point, we deem it sufficient to say that the appellant has failed, to satisfy us that the act in question is unconstitutional. The appellant also complains of the manner in which the jury was drawn, as in violation of the act specified. When this case was called for trial, ten men were drawn from the regular panel, and, no others being present, the plaintiff asked that the jury be completed by calling talesmen, but the court refused the request, and continued the cause until the next day, when the jury was completed from the regular panel. We do not think any violation of law or abuse of discretion in what was done is shown.

[504]*5044 [503]*503II. The evidence authorized the jury to find the facts to be substantially as follows: At the time of the accident it was so dark that a man on a wheel could not have been seen readily further than a short distance,- The defendant states that he ought to have seen a man dressed in light-colored clothing a distance of thirty yards or more, and the plaintiff states that he wore such clothing at the time of the accident. But he was not seen by the defendant until the col lision had occurred. The plaintiff saw the defendant and his horse, which was gray or white in color, one hundred and fifty yards before meeting them.', and began to slacken his speed. He says he hallooed to the defendant and a companion who was riding with him when they were fifty feet distant, and again a moment later. The defendant did not heed nor hear the warning, but continued to drive his horse in the traveled road, although the sides were level, and he could have turned [504]*504out easily. The plaintiff turned to the north side of the road, and a moment before he was struck threw himself from his wheel, but not in time to avoid the collision. Section 1000 of the Code of 1873 is as'follows: “Persons meeting each other on the public highways shall give one-half of the same by turning to the right. All persons failing to observe the provisions of this section shall be liable to pay all damages resulting therefrom. * * »>> The plaintiff was entitled to use the public highway with his wheel, and was entitled to one-half of it when he met persons going in an

opposite direction. He turned to the right as he approached the defendant, as the law provides, and the fact that the latter did not is prima facie evidence of negligence on his part. Riepe v. Elting, 89 Iowa, 83. The appellant contends that the presumption authorized by law has not been overcome, and that the testimony of the defendant shows conclusively that, if he had been giving proper attention to his horse and the road, the accident would not have occurred. But we •think the jury was authorized to find that the presumption of negligence on the part of the defendant was overcome. The fact that it would have been possible for him to discover the approach of the plaintiff in time to turn to the right does not show that he was negligent in not doing so. The defendant states that at the time of the accident he was watching his horse and the road in advance for the purpose of seeing any one who might be on .the road, but that he was not expecting to meet any one, and did not see or hear the plaintiff until the accident occurred. The defendant’s companion also states that he was watching the road in advance of the horse, but did not see the plaintiff until the moment of the accident. In view of this evidence the jury was justified in finding that the defendant used due eare to ascertain the approach of persons on the highway. Until he [505]*505knew, or with reasonable care could bave known, that tbe plaintiff was approaching, it was not bis duty to turn out for him, and be was not negligent in keeping in tbe traveled way.

5 III. Tbe plaintiff would not necessarily have been entitled to recover bad tbe defendant failed to discover him in time to avoid the accident, through inattention to bis duties as driver. Contributory negligence on tbe part of tbe plaintiff would prevent a recovery. He contends that there was no evidence whatever that be was guilty of such negligence; but, if the testimony for tbe defendant was entitled to credit, we think the plaintiff must have been negligent. He says be saw tbe defendant when be was distant one hundred and fifty yards. Tbe defendant was driving at a rate of five or six miles an hour, and the plaintiff was going as fast, and probably faster. If that rate of speed bad been continued, they would bave met in about thirty seconds from tbe time tbe plaintiff saw tbe defendant. Tbe plaintiff says be slackened bis speed, and, if be did so, tbe collision may not have occurred until nearly a minute after tbe plaintiff was first made aware of tbe defendant’s approach. Tbe plaintiff must have known that be was making little, if any noise; that be did not carry a light or other means of attracting attention at a distance; and that bis approach might not be discovered. True, tbe law of this state did not make it bis duty to carry a light, to sound a bell, or to give other signal of bis ■movements, and tbe same was true of tbe defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
39 L.R.A. 488, 103 Iowa 500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cook-v-fogarty-iowa-1897.