Deep Rock Oil Corporation v. Fox

1936 OK 511, 63 P.2d 24, 178 Okla. 516, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 876
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 15, 1936
DocketNo. 25435.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1936 OK 511 (Deep Rock Oil Corporation v. Fox) 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
Deep Rock Oil Corporation v. Fox, 1936 OK 511, 63 P.2d 24, 178 Okla. 516, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 876 (Okla. 1936).

Opinion

CORN, J.

The plaintiffs in error were the defendants in the lower court and the defendant in error the plaintiff. The parties will hereinafter be referred to as they ai>peared in the trial court.

The plaintiff herein was, on the 9th day of March, 1932, riding his motorcycle north on Hudson street in Oklahoma City, and a car owned by the defendant W. I. Williams was being driven south on Hudson street on the wrong side of the street by' Morris Brien, an employee of the Deep Rock Oil Corporation, a codefendant, who attempted to make a left turn in violation of the city ordinance of Oklahoma City at the intersection of Second street, when a collision occurred between said car and the motorcycle, and the plaintiff, F. C. Fox, was injured.

After the parties introduced their evidence, the court, under proper instructions, submitted the ease to the jury, and the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff; from said judgment the defendants have taken this appeal.

The defendants do not question the negligence of the defendant Morris Brien, nor the excessiveness of the verdict returned by the jury. The only assignment of error with substantial merit is in substance as follows:

“That there is no evidence to i>rove Morris Brien was the agent of the defendants at the time of the accident and, therefore, his negligence cannot be imputed to these defendants.”

The defendant Deep Rock Oil Corporation admits that Morris Brien was regularly employed by it at the filling station at Ninth and Hudson, but denies that he was on duty, contending that his hours for work on that particular day had ceased prior to the time of the accident.

The' testimony shows by several witnesses that Morris Brien was wearing a uniform carrying the insignia of the defendant Deep Rock Oil Corporation at the time of the accident, and that he was seen by the plaintiff at the station at Ninth and Hudson, where he was engaged in doing work upon the -particular car which he was driving some ten or fifteen minutes prior to said accident. This testimony shows that he was working at the Deep Rock station after 10 :30 a. m. and after the time which he and an employee of said defendant testified he was off duty.

*517 There was also testimony by C. L. Stanford and H. D. Stanford that Morris Brien with his uniform on was in the car owned by Mr. Williams and that he drove said car out of the filling station at Ninth and Hudson and down the street to Second and Hudson, where the accident occurred.

In addition to the testimony which the plaintiff presented showing Morris Brien to be the agent of the Deep Rock Oil Corporation, there is a stipulation admitting that the ear driven by Morris OBrien was owned by W. I. Williams. The testimony shows that W. I. Williams on prior occasions did have his car serviced at the station located at Ninth and Hudson, and that Morrijs Brien had used said automobile several times in running errands for W. I. Williams. Further testimony shows that the accident occurred at a place in direct line from the station from where Morris Brien left with the car to the garage where it was kept and to where he admitted he was taking it.

Mr. Brien on direct examination testified in part as follows:

“Q. Had you driven this ear before? A. Yes, sir. Q. How many times? A. Oh, I don’t know, not so very many; just sometimes he would send me on an errand or something like that. * * * Q. Where had you been with the car? A. Been up at Ninth and Walker, I believe it was. Q. Ninth and Walker? A. In between the alley of Hudson and Walker.”

On cross-examination he testified in part as follows:

“Q. Prior to this particular day you had serviced this car for Mr. Williams a number of times? A. Sure. Q. And you had charged his account whatever was necessary to service it? A. Yes, sir. Q. And he always paid his bills? A. I don’t know that. Q.. He was a customer of that particular place? A. Yes. Q. And whenever he wanted anything for his car you give it to him? A. Sure. Q. Greased it or washed it, whatever was necessary to be done? A. Yes, sir. Q. You say on this particular day you went down and obtained the car about 10:30? A. Or 11. Q. You know where to get the key? A. Yes. Q. And you got the key and took the car out and out to Ninth and Walker in the alley between what? A. Hudson and Walker. Q. That is whore you had your grease rack and wash rack? A. No, sir. Q. You mean to say your grease rack and wash rack is not between Hudson and Walker? A. Sure, but I was not where it was. Q. How close to it? A. I was in the alley. Q. What were you doing with the car in the alley? A. Watching a fellow work on his car. Q. You didn’t put any grease in the car, you just drove up to watch the fellow work on his car and then you drove down Hudson? A. No. * * * Q. Did you have a uniform on? A. I don’t remember. Q. You always wore your uniform when on duty? A. Most generally. * * * Q. You don’t mean to tell the jury you stole the automobile? A. Yes, sir. Q. You stole it? A. Yes, sir.”

Mr. Williams admitted that he had given his consent to Morris Brien to use his ear on different occasions, that he had his car serviced at the Deep Rock station, and that they had done his work for him about a year. The manager of the station at Ninth and Hudson admitted on cross-examination that his employees had gone after automobiles, serviced and delivered them.

Without a doubt, Morris Brien was in the general employ of the Deep Rock Oil Corporation, was dressed in Deep Rock Oil Corporation’s uniform with the name “Deep Rock Oil Company” on the front and back, was working at the station after the hour of 10:30 a. m. and after the time testified to by an employee of the Deep Rock Oil Corporation that the boy was off duty. It was further proved by the plaintiff that Morris Brien made the statement immediately after the accident and at the scene of the accident that he was in a hurry delivering the car.

In addition to this testimony, Morris Brien, the defendants’ witness and general employee, admitted a number of facts which tended to corroborate the circumstantial evidence of the plaintiff, to wit: That several times he had driven this car owned by Mr. Williams, that on previous occasions he had serviced Williams’ car at the station where he was working, that Mr. Williams was their customer and had a charge account with this particular station, and that he greased and washed Mr. Williams’ car whenever it was there to be done.

All this testimony went to the jury as being true, and the inferences and intend-ments deducible therefrom, to the effect that Morris Brien had procured the car for Mr. Williams on that particular morning, had taken it to the Deep Rock station, was servicing said automobile immediately before the accident, and did leave the service station in his uniform, driving directly toward the garage where Mr. Williams kept his car, and while doing so was involved in this accident. The only evidence in the entire record which tends to conflict with all of this testimony is the testimony of the defendant Deep Rock Oil Corporation’s manager, who testified that Morris Brien was not working for said defendant at the time of the collision and resulting injury.

*518

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Bluebook (online)
1936 OK 511, 63 P.2d 24, 178 Okla. 516, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 876, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deep-rock-oil-corporation-v-fox-okla-1936.