Duffy v. Bonnell

25 Ohio Law. Abs. 503
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Duffy v. Bonnell. Read the opinion of the Court — 28 Ohio Law. Abs. 88
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided October 15, 1937·Published

Opinion

OPINION

By CARTER, J.

This cause is in tin's court on appeal on questions of law'. The action below was one for personal injuries claimed to have been sustained by appellee, who at the time of receiving said injuries was riding as a guest in an automobile operated at the time by one Nick Tarrantino, at which time Tarrantino’s car and defendant's car collided at the intersection of Rush Boulevard and Lowell Avenue in the city of Youngstown. Rush Boulevard runs in a northerly and southerly direction, with a park strip in the center thereof dividing the north and south lanes of traffic thereon. Lowell Avenue runs in a westerly direction from Rush Boulevard and terminates at Rush Boulevard.

The cause came on for trial to the court and jury, resulting in a verdict for plaintiff in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars. Motion for new trial was filed, overruled and judgment entered on the verdict and appeal is prosecuted to this court to reverse this verdict and judgment.

The collision occurred on October 6th, 1935, at about ten o’clock in the morning. The opening between the park strips on Rush Boulevard opposite Lowell Avenue is about fifty feet in width; the width of Lowell Avenue is about twenty-four feet. The lanes of Rush Boulevard running northerly and southerly are about eighteen feet in width. The day was clear and the streets were dry. Tarrantino drove his car north on the north bound or east lane of Rush Boulevard, turned to go west on Lowell Avenue, and he and plaintiff testified that he stopped his car at the south lane of Rush Boulevard at a point opposite the line of west bound traffic on Lowell Avenue. They testify that his car was out past the east curb line of the south lane of Rush Boulevard with the front end so that they could look to the north on Rush Boulevard. They both testify that thes1 saw the car operated by defendant coming south on Rush Boulevard, at which time she was' about two hundred and fifty feet to three hundred feet away, and Tarrantino, believing he had sufficient time to cross, put his car into second gear and started across at a speed, as testified to, from five or six miles an hour. He further testifies that his car had reached a point so that the front four or five feet of it was in Lowell Avenue west of the west curb oh Rush Bouieyard -when the defend[505]*505ant’s car struck it on the right rear side. He also testifies that the defendant was traveling in the center of the south bound lane on Rush Boulevard at a speed of torty to forty-five miles an hour. The defendant testified that the Tarrantino car was in the center of the lane in which she was travelling and that she turned her car to the right and skidded her wheels for some little distance before her car struck the Tarrantino car; that when the cars collided a very loud noise was created. The force of the collision turned the Tarrantino car around on the dry pavement so that it was headed back east and on the southerly side of Lowell Avenue, the force being so great that Tarrantino was thrown out of the car on to the pavement. The windshield of the Tarrantino car was shattered when Duffy came into collision with it at the time of the accident.

The plaintiff appellee alleges in his petition that the injuries and damages of which he complains were brought about through the careless neglect and unlawful conduct of the defendant proximately operating in that:

1. The defendant at said time and place carelessly, negligently and unlawfully failed and neglected to have her automobile under control so that she could stop the same, divert the course or slacken the speed thereof in time to avoid striking and injuring plaintiff.

2. That the defendant at the time and place carelessly, negligently, recklessly and unlawfully failed and neglected to make any observation whatever to ascertain the presence and dangerous position of plaintiff on the highway although he was in plain sight and could and should have been seen by the defendant in the exercise of ordinary care in season to avoid striking and injuring him.

3. That the defendant at the time and place, carelessly, negligently and unlawfully operated her automobile at a greater speed than would permit the same to be stopped within the assured clear distance ahead.

4. That the defendant at the time and place carelessly, negligently and unlawlully operated her automobile at a speed that was greater than was reasonable and proper without having regard for the width, traffic, use and general and usual rules of the highway so as to endanger the life and limb of this plaintiff.

5. That the defendant at the time and place carelessly and negligently, after she saw, or in the exercise of ordinary care ought to have seen, the presence and dangerous position of plaintiff on the intersection, failed and neglected to stop ‘her automobile or slacken the speed or divert the course thereof in time to avoid striking him, although in the exercise of ordinary care she could have done so.

6. That the defendant at the time and place carelessly and negligently and wantonly failed and neglected to warn or apprise the plaintiff, by horn or otherwise, of her approach to the intersection, although in the exercise of ordinary care she could and should have done so.

The defendant, by way of answer, admits that at the times mentioned in the petition Rush Boulevard was a duly dedicated public street in the city of Youngstown, Ohio, extending in a northerly and southerly direction, the center of the street being occupied by a park strip dividing the north and south bound traffic except at intersections, one of which is Lowell Avenue, a duly dedicated public street in the city of Youngstown extending in a westerly direction from Rush Boulevard; admits that on or about the 6th day of August, 1935, at about ten o’clock, the plaintiff was a passenger in an automobile being operated in a northerly direction on Rush Boulevard, and that the defendant was operating her automobile in a southerly direction on Rush Boulevard, and that the automobile in which plaintiff was riding came into collision with the automobile operated by the defendant; admits that as a result of the collision the plaintiff suffered some injuries, but defendant denies that the collision occurred in the manner or from the causes set forth in plaintiff’s petition, and denies that damages were sustained or injuries suffered by the plaintiff to the extent set forth in his petition, and then denies each and every and all of the statements and allegations contained in the plaintiff’s petition except such as are specifically admitted to be true. As a second defense alleges that the occurrence set forth in plaintiff’s petition was brought about solely and proximately by the neglect of the operator of the automobile in which plaintiff was riding and that the damages sustained, if any there were, and the injuries suffered, if any there were, were caused solely and proximately by the neglect of the operator of the automobile in which plaintiff was riding.

To this answer a reply was filed by the [506]*506plaintiff which is in the nature of a general denial except admissions therein.

It is urged as ground of reversal:

1. That the verdict is excessive and the judgment was against the weight of the evidence.

The evidence indicates that plaintiff received an injury to his left chest; that he had sharp pains in his lower left chest; that the fifth, sixth and seventh ribs on the left side were cracked, causing an expansion of the ribs and severe pain.

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Duffy v. Bonnell, 25 Ohio Law. Abs. 503 (Ohio Ct. App. 1937).

25 Ohio Law. Abs. 503 (Duffy v. Bonnell) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.