Davis v. Carolina Power & Light Co.

76 S.E.2d 378, 238 N.C. 106, 1953 N.C. LEXIS 396

• Court: Supreme Court of North Carolina
• Decided: June 12, 1953
• Docket: 752
• Status: Published

Opinions

Ervin, J.

This case is founded on negligence. In an action for death by wrongful act based on negligence, tbe burden rests on tbe plaintiff to produce evidence sufficient to establish tbe two essential elements of actionable negligence, namely: (1) That tbe defendant was guilty of a negligent act or omission; and (2) that such act or omission was tbe proximate cause of tbe death of tbe decedent. Sowers v. Marley, 235 N.C. 607, 70 S.E. 2d 670.

It is well settled in this jurisdiction that foreseeability of injury is a requisite of proximate cause. Cox v. Freight Lines, 236 N.C. 72, 72 S.E. 2d 25; Wood v. Telephone Co., 228 N.C. 605, 46 S.E. 2d 717; Watkins v. Furnishing Co., 224 N.C. 674, 31 S.E. 2d 917; Montgomery v. Blades, 222 N.C. 463, 23 S.E. 2d 844; Butner v. Spease, 217 N.C. 82, 6 S.E. 2d 808; Beach v. Patton, 208 N.C. 134, 179 S.E. 446; Osborne v. Coal Co., 207 N.C. 545, 177 S.E. 796. This being true, we would'be compelled to affirm tbe compulsory nonsuit even if we should accept as valid tbe contention of plaintiff that tbe defendant was negligent in conveying a dangerous current of electricity across a public highway in a settled, community on uninsulated wires suspended only 17 or 18 feet above tbe surface of tbe highway. Tbe evidence at tbe trial did not disclose any facts sufficient to charge the defendant with, notice that someone might throw a house-mover’s measuring tape over its transmission line. In consequence, the tragedy was not within the reasonable foresight of the defendant. Pugh v. Power Co., 237 N.C. 693, 75 S.E. 2d 766; Mintz v. Murphy, 235 N.C. 304, 69 S.E. 2d 849; Deese v. Light Co., 234 N.C. 558, 67 S.E. 2d 751; Stanley v. Smithfield, 211 N.C. 386, 190 S.E. 207; Parker v. R. R., 169 N.C. 68, 85 S.E. 33; Caraglio v. Frontier Power Co., 192 F. 2d 175; Croxton v. Duke Power Co., 181 F. 2d 306; Garrett v. Arkansas Power & Light Co., 218 Ark. 575, 237 S.W. 895; Calloway v. Central Georgia Power Co., 43 Ga. App. 820, 160 S.E. 703; Dilley v. Iowa Public Service Co., 210 Iowa 1332, 227 N.W. 173; Fredericks’ Admr. v. Kentucky Utilities Co., 276 Ky. 13, 122 S.W. 2d 1000; Watrals’ Adm’r v. Appalachian Power Co., 273 Ky. 25, 115 S.W. 2d 372; Kelley v. Texas Utilities Co. (Tex. Civ. App), 115 S.W. 2d 1233; Kedziora v. Washington Water Power Co., 193 Wash. 51, 74 P. 2d 898; 18 Am. Jur., Electricity, section 53; 29 C.J.S., Electricity, section 42.

The ruling on the motion to nonsuit would have been the same had the plaintiff’s witness J. O. Winters been permitted to testify that he had never observed uninsulated wires crossing highways.

Affirmed.