Danner v. Chandler

1951 OK 208, 233 P.2d 953, 204 Okla. 693, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 551
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 17, 1951
Docket34249
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 1951 OK 208 (Danner v. Chandler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Danner v. Chandler, 1951 OK 208, 233 P.2d 953, 204 Okla. 693, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 551 (Okla. 1951).

Opinions

JOHNSON, J.

The parties herein occupied reverse relative positions in the trial court and we shall hereafter refer to them as they there appeared.

The plaintiff seeks damages for personal injuries. She alleged that on April 14, 1947, at about 5 p.m., she was riding in a truck owned and operated by her husband; that they were going south on U. S. Highway 77, in Murray county, Oklahoma; that the truck was struck from the rear by a truck owned by Noble Danner, d/b/a Danner’s Trucking Company, and being driven by the agent of said trucking company, John Burns, codefendant; that said collision caused the truck in which plaintiff was riding to leave the road, roll over and be crushed.

That as a result of said collision, she sustained deep and disfiguring cuts on her forehead and knees, a back injury, severe bruises and extreme shock, all of which was proximately caused by the negligence of the defendant’s agent, John Burns, in that he did not have control of said truck and was traveling at an excessive rate of speed, to wit: approximately 55 miles per hour; that said driver was not keeping [694]*694a proper lookout ahead and could not and did not stop within the assured clear distance ahead; that by reason thereof she has been damaged $5,000, for which she prays.

The Highway Insurance Underwriters, a corporation of Austin, Texas, the surety on a bond of indemnity to indemnify any and all persons for damages arising out of the negligent operation of the vehicles of said defendant trucking company, was made a party defendant.

Plaintiff, for her second cause of action, alleges that, through the gross negligence and total disregard of plaintiffs rights and safety, she is entitled to exemplary or punitive damages in the sum of $2,500, for which she prays judgment.

Defendant trucking company answered denying generally the material allegations of plaintiff and alleged that plaintiff’s injuries, if any, were caused by her contributory negligence and not the negligence of defendant’s driver; that the damage, if any, was the result of an unavoidable casualty, misfortune or accident; that the injuries, if any, to plaintiff were the result of the carelessness and want of care of her husband, with whom she was riding in that without any warning signal he suddenly slowed down or stopped his truck; that by reason thereof the defendant’s driver was unable to avoid the collision and defendants prayed that plaintiff take nothing.

Plaintiff replied, denying every material allegation.

Upon the issues thus joined a trial was had resulting in a verdict by the jury in favor of the plaintiff in the sum of $1,900 on her first cause of action, which was thereafter reduced to $1,400 when the court ordered and the parties agreed to a remittitur of $500.

Defendants’ motion for a new trial was overruled resulting in this appeal.

Defendants present their assignments of error under three propositions, which are in substance that the court erred in refusing to give defendants’ requested instruction No. 1 and in giving instructions Nos. 19, 20 and 21, over the objections and exceptions of defendants.

The essence of defendant’s first proposition, as revealed by their argument and requested instruction, is that an instruction on contributory negligence should have been given to the jury, and to support this contention defendants principally rely on article 23, section 6 of the Constitution of Oklahoma, and Stillwater Milling Co. v. Templin, 182 Okla. 309, 77 P. 2d 732.

The defendants plead plaintiff’s contributory negligence and if there is any evidence introduced on the issue or any existing circumstances from which such negligence may be inferred, the issue must be submitted to the jury. Safeway Cab Service Co. v. Minor, 180 Okla. 448, 70 P. 2d 76, and cases cited therein.

A brief resume of the evidence, pertinent to the question of negligence, is as follows:

Plaintiff testified that on October 14, 1947, she, in company with her husband, was returning from Oklahoma City to their home in Texas in her husband’s truck and that her husband was driving; that when they arrived at the Washita river bridge, south of Davis, Oklahoma, on U. S. Highway 77, about 4:15 in the afternoon, the defendant’s truck, driven by John Burns, which was following them, ran into the rear of her husband’s truck just as it was going off the south approach of the bridge; that a highway patrol car was parked about 75 to 100 feet south of the bridge on the west side of the highway next to the guardrail and another truck was parked on the east side of the highway headed in a northerly direction about 15 feet south of the bridge; that when the defendant’s truck struck the rear of the Chandler truck, plaintiff was thrown partially through the windshield and then fell to the floor of the car.

[695]*695Ernest Chandler testified that on the date of the accident here involved he was driving his truck en route to his home in Texas, accompanied by his wife; that as he came to the Washita river bridge he saw two - vehicles parked south of the bridge, a highway patrol car on the west facing south about 90 feet from the south end of the bridge and on the shoulder, and a truck on the east side of the highway on the shoulder facing north; that the bridge was narrow and he slowed his truck down as he approached it; that his truck was struck from the rear by the truck driven by Mr. Burns as he left the south end of the bridge; that his truck was knocked into the truck parked at the south end of the bridge; that the impact of the defendant’s truck striking the rear of his truck caused his wife to be thrown against the windshield and then to the floor of the truck.

Roy Clinton testified he was, on the date of the accident, a highway patrol trooper and that he was parked in his patrol car on the west shoulder of U. S. Highway 77, about 90' to 100 feet south of the Washita river bridge; that he saw the small truck in which plaintiff was riding proceeding south immediately followed by the large cattle truck of defendants and that as the first truck came off the south end of the bridge it was struck by the large truck of defendants in the rear; that after the cattle truck hit the small truck it bounced off and proceeded down the highway into the highway patrol car; that the truck in which plaintiff was riding was traveling at an ordinary speed at the time it was struck by defendants’ truck; that the Washita river was in flood stage; that he helped plaintiff out of the car in which she was riding and put her in the patrol car; that she was cut and bleeding about the face and appeared to be very frightened; that immediately after the accident, John Burns, driver of defendants’ truck, stated to him that he ran into the back of the truck in which plaintiff was riding; that he did not see it because he was looking at the river.

E. P. Edwards testified that, on the date in question, he was driving a truck toward Davis; that at the time of the accident, he was parked at the south end of the Washita river bridge, on the east shoulder of the highway facing north, and about 20 feet from the south end of the bridge; that a highway patrol car was parked about 80 feet south of him on the west shoulder of the highway facing south; that he saw two trucks approaching the bridge from the north going south; that Mrs.

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Danner v. Chandler
1951 OK 208 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1951)

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Bluebook (online)
1951 OK 208, 233 P.2d 953, 204 Okla. 693, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/danner-v-chandler-okla-1951.