Dyer v. People's Ice Co.

154 N.W. 135, 188 Mich. 203, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 1034
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 28, 1915
DocketDocket No. 55
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 154 N.W. 135 (Dyer v. People's Ice Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dyer v. People's Ice Co., 154 N.W. 135, 188 Mich. 203, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 1034 (Mich. 1915).

Opinion

Stone, J.

This is an action on the case to recover damages for injuries inflicted upon the plaintiff by a runaway horse belonging to the defendant. The defendant is, and at the time of the grievances complained of was, a domestic corporation engaged in the manufacturing business at Detroit. In such business it owned and kept at its stables a number of horses and wagons, among them a horse called the “Louie horse,” and a single ice delivery wagon, used in delivering ice to its customers in the city. The declaration alleged, and on the trial there was evidence tending to show, that it was well known to the defendant that said horse was a high-strung, nervous, and irritable animal, and that upon the occasion of the injury complained of the horse wore a bridle which was too large for it, which permitted the bits to drop out of its mouth when not being driven.

On September 30, 1912, this horse and wagon, while in charge of one Charles Dunlap, defendant’s driver,, were left standing on Randolph street, the horse-hitched to a weight only, while the driver, as was his. custom, entered a place for his regular midday lunch.. When Dunlap came out of the place where he had lunched, the horse had the bridle pulled off its head, and had it under his feet. Dunlap ran toward the horse, the door slammed, and the horse started, .and he was unable to stop the horse. It ran on Cross street to John R. street, Dunlap trying unsuccessfully to stop it; but there was no way in which to hold it, as the bridle was off and between its legs, with the weight still attached to the bridle. The horse ran up John R. street, across Adams, to Elizabeth street, turned westerly towards Woodward avenue, and, in turning, swung across the sidewalk on Elizabeth street and over the curb, and ran against and upon the plaintiff, who was kneeling upon the grass fixing some curtains on a. stretcher in front of her house, on the corner of John [206]*206R. and Elizabeth, streets, inside her lot line, and between the sidewalk and her house. The horse struck the house; one shaft of the wagon and one leg of the horse going through the window, the horse remaining outside. The horse ran against the plaintiff’s back, and knocked her down, and underneath the horse and wagon. She was trampled upon by the horse and severely injured. She sustained comminuted fractures of both the bones of her right leg. The fibula had a comminuted fracture about inches above the ankle. The larger bone was badly crushed and fractured 4 to 6 inches, a spiral fracture, and she was bruised about the knee. There was a bruise on the left leg about halfway between the thigh and the knee. The left ankle was badly bruised and scraped, and the skin corroded halfway to the knee. Her hip and back were bruised, and the zygomatic arch on the left side of her face was broken, depressed, and pushed in, making mastication very painful. Plaintiff was confined to her bed for about 15 weeks, and was then able to sit up. She afterwards used a wheel chair for a time, and has since gone on crutches. The right leg is now about three-quarters of an inch shorter than formerly. She was a married woman, 42 years old at the time of the injury. Her husband died before the trial.

The evidence tended to show that prior to the accident the plaintiff was a strong, healthy woman. Since the injury she has suffered much pain in her head, back, spine, and left leg, is nervous, and does not sleep well, and is unable to perform any labor. Her doctors’ bills were upwards of $335, at the time of the trial, which was in November, 1914. Before and at the time of the injury she was earning from $18 to $26 per week keeping boarders and doing fine laundry work.. There was much medical testimony by the attending physicians as to the extent and result of the plaintiff’s injuries. Upon the trial the plaintiff called the de[207]*207fendant’s driver, Dunlap, as a witness for cross-examination under the act of 1909. The trial resulted in a verdict and judgment for the plaintiff of $5,000. A motion for a new trial was made by the defendant, and denied, but no exceptions were taken to the decision refusing such motion. The defendant has brought the case to this court, and has assigned error upon the following grounds:

(1) Because the verdict is against the great weight of the evidence.

(2) Because the verdict is grossly excessive.

(3) Because the court erred in the admission of certain testimony, and in the charge.

The first two reasons are based upon the denial of defendant’s motion for a new trial, and could not be raised otherwise. In the absence of exceptions to the decision refusing the motion, we cannot review the action of the circuit judge in overruling the motion for a new trial. It has been so held repeatedly. Ginn v. Coal Co., 143 Mich. 84 (106 N. W. 867, 107 N. W. 904) ; Moore v. Insurance Co., 143 Mich. 424 (106 N. W. 1116). We will say, however, that an examination of the entire record satisfies us that, had exceptions been taken to the denial of motion, they would not have been availing, for the reason that upon the merits we are of the opinion that it cannot be said that the verdict was against the great weight of the evidence, or that the verdict was grossly excessive. The foregoing statement of the nature and extent of the injuries shows that the plaintiff was permanently disabled, and her earning ability destroyed, to say nothing of the accompanying pain and suffering. Under such circumstanaces it cannot be said that the recovery was excessive.

It remains for us to consider such of the rulings upon the admission of testimony and the charge as are properly presented and are meritorious.

[208]*208The fourth assignment of error is to the effect that the court erred in refusing to strike out the following testimony of the witness Dunlap, the defendant’s driver, on whose negligence the action is largely based:

“Q. Had you known that horse around the barn before you took him out, and given to drive about a week before the accident?
“A. I just heard about him.
“Q. Did you hear him talked around the barn as the 'Louie horse’?
“A. Yes.
“Q. What sort of a horse was he? State whether he was. a quiet horse, or not a quiet horse.
“Defendant’s Counsel: I think that is a question for the jury to decide.
“Q. Whether he was a quiet horse or not?
“The Court: Answer the question.
“Defendant’s Counsel: I think we should find out what he did and did not do; how the witness used this horse, left him standing or not; and, if so, whether he ran away before.
“The Court: Answer the question.
“Defendant’s Counsel: Note an exception.
“A. He was not a quiet horse.
“Q. He was not a quiet horse?
“A. No.
“Defendant’s Counsel: I would ask to strike it out as calling for a conclusion, a question that the jury should be allowed to pass upon.
“The Court: Motion denied.

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Related

Soltar v. Anderson
65 N.W.2d 777 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1954)
Laskowski v. People's Ice Co.
157 N.W. 6 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1916)
Gungrich v. Anderson
155 N.W. 379 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
154 N.W. 135, 188 Mich. 203, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 1034, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dyer-v-peoples-ice-co-mich-1915.