Cross v. Rosencranz

195 P. 857, 108 Kan. 350, 1921 Kan. LEXIS 46
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 12, 1921
DocketNo. 22,963
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 195 P. 857 (Cross v. Rosencranz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cross v. Rosencranz, 195 P. 857, 108 Kan. 350, 1921 Kan. LEXIS 46 (kan 1921).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Burch, J.:

The action was one for damages for personal injuries, sustained in a collision between plaintiff’s motorcycle and defendants’ automobile. A verdict was returned in favor of the plaintiff. Judgment was rendered against him, however, on his own testimony and on special findings returned by the jury, and he appeals.

The plaintiff testified he was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and was going north on the east side of Lawrence avenue, in the city of Wichita. Lawrence avenue is crossed from east to west by Fourteenth street. As he approached Fourteenth street, he saw the automobile coming south on the west side of Lawrence avenue. While he saw the automobile coming he did not give it special attention, and did not see a signal given by the automobile driver that she intended to turn east into Fourteenth street. The automobile did not remain on the west side of Lawrence avenue until the center of the intersection of the two streets was reached, as a [351]*351traffic regulation required. Indeed, the automobile did not reach Fourteenth street at all, but turned toward the southeast, and struck the motorcycle at a point about a foot and a half from the east curb of Lawrence avenue, and eight or ten feet north of the curb on the north side of Fourteenth street. When the plaintiff passed Fourteenth street he was within four or five feet of the curb on the east side of Lawrence avenue. When the automobile headed toward him, he turned in a northeasterly direction toward the curb,- threw the motorcycle out of gear, and applied the brake, which was in good condition. The bumper of the automobile struck the plaintiff’s left leg, broke it between the ankle and knee so that both bones protruded through flesh and clothing, and threw the plaintiff toward the east and upon the parking. The plaintiff testified he was not exceeding the speed limit, and testified further as follows:

“Q. At what speed do you estimate you were traveling? A. Just before I got to Fourteenth street I would say I was making from about twelve to fifteen miles an hour.
“Q. At the time of the collision at what speed do you estimate you were going? A. I was going very slow at that time, as much as I could slow it down after I put it out of gear and put on the brake — probably eight or ten miles an hour.
“Q. So you couldn’t tell, then, except just making an estimate, how fast you were going at the time of this accident? A. Just by an estimate is all the way I could tell.
“Q. Just an estimate? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And you estimate you were going twelve or fifteen miles an hour when you collided? A. I was, just before that. I was going slower at the time of the collision.
“Q. Just before that, you were crossing Fourteenth street, weren’t you? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. You were going how fast when you crossed Fourteenth street? A. I would say about twelve or fifteen miles an hour.
“Q. When you crossed Fourteenth street? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Then you slowed up a little between this Fourteenth street and and this ten feet north? A. I slowed up as much as I could.
“Q. If you slowed up as much as you could, how much do you think you slowed up in that ten feet? A. Well, I couldn’t exactly say.
“Q. Well, you did say, in answer to Mr. Hasty’s question, you said about how fast you were going at the time of the collision, didn’t you? A. I estimated it was about eight or ten miles an hour.
“Q. You might have been going faster? A. I might have.”
The findings of fact follow:
[352]*352“special findings.
“1. Who was driving the automobile at the time of the accident in question? Mrs. Rosencranz.
“2. If you find that defendant Mrs. S. C. Rosencranz was driving the automobile at the time in question, state at what rate of speed, if any, you find the automobile was moving at the time of the accident. Eight miles per hour.
“3. Did not defendant Mrs. S. C. Rosencranz give timely warning, by extending her hand out on the left side of her car, that she was intending to turn east on Fourteenth street? Yes.
“4. Is it not true that the automobile had practically stopped at the time of the accident in question? No.
“5. If you answer the above question negatively, then state at what rate of speed you find the automobile was going at the time of the accident. Eight miles per hour.
“6. State at what rate of speed you find plaintiff was going: (a) when crossing Fourteenth street; (6) when the collision occurred, (a) Ten miles per hour. (6) Eight miles per hour.
“7. Was there anything to prevent plaintiff from seeing the automobile when it turned east on Fourteenth stteet? The automobile turned east before reaching Fourteenth street.
“8. If you answer the above question affirmatively, then state what there was.
“9. What amount of clear space was there between the automobile at the place, of the collision and the south curb of Fourteenth street? Thirty-five feet.
“10. If plaintiff had had his motorcycle under control when he started to cross Fourteenth street, could he have stopped it, and thus have prevented the collision? No.
“11. If the plaintiff, when crossing Fourteenth street, had been going at a legal rate of six miles per hour, could he not, in the exercise of ordinary care, have turned east on Fourteenth street,, and thus have avoided the collision? No. •
“12. State at what rate of speed you find plaintiff was going on his motorcycle when crossing Fourteenth street. Ten miles per hour.
“13. Did the said defendants, J. H. Skidmore and William Dunham, or either of them, exercise any control over the operation of the car at the time of the accident in question? No.
“14. Withdrawn.
“15. State what you find to be the width of Fourteenth street east of Lawrence avenue at the place where the injury occurred, including sidewalks and parking. 58 I%o feet.
“16. Did not plaintiff’s motorcycle strike the automobile with such force as to sever the two iron or steel rods which held the bumper 'in front of plaintiff’s automobile? No.
“17. If you find the defendant was negligent at the time of the accident, and that her negligence caused the injury, then state in what her negligence consisted. Lack of proper control of automobile, and [353]*353starting to turn east on Lawrence avenue before reaching intersection of East Fourteenth street.
“18. State at what distance you find that a motorcycle can be stopped when going at a rate of six miles per hour. Thirty feet..
“19.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Davis v. Younger Bros., Inc.
260 S.W.2d 637 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1953)
Clark v. Southwestern Greyhound Lines
79 P.2d 906 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1938)
O'Malley v. Eagan
2 P.2d 1063 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1931)
Phillips v. Meyer Sanitary Milk Co.
281 P. 895 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1929)
Morris v. Kansas City, Leavenworth & Western Railway Co.
235 P. 1047 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1925)
Martin v. Weigand
215 P. 1023 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
195 P. 857, 108 Kan. 350, 1921 Kan. LEXIS 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cross-v-rosencranz-kan-1921.