Evans v. Upmier

16 N.W.2d 6, 235 Iowa 35, 1944 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 484
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 17, 1944
DocketNo. 46577.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 16 N.W.2d 6 (Evans v. Upmier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evans v. Upmier, 16 N.W.2d 6, 235 Iowa 35, 1944 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 484 (iowa 1944).

Opinion

Mantz, C. J.

Plaintiff’s action is based upon a claim for damages growing out of injuries received by him on June 3, 1942, while riding a horse belonging to the defendant, at the riding academy of the defendant in Johnson County, Iowa. Plaintiff’s petition was in two counts. The first count was based upon an express or implied warranty that the.horse hired by the plaintiff for riding purposes was fit, safe, and suitable for such purpose. Count 2 was based upon the negligence of *37 the defendant in furnishing plaintiff with a riding horse having vicious and unmanageable propensities.

When plaintiff rested he dismissed count 2 and based his entire claim upon count 1. Count 1, in substance, alleged that on June 3, 1942, defendant was operating a riding academy in Johnson County, Iowa, and in so doing furnished to the public riding horses for hire; that on such date plaintiff, along with .others desiring to engage in horseback riding, hired a horse for that purpose; that defendant at that time expressly or impliedly promised and warranted the plaintiff and the public generally that his riding horses were suitable for that purpose and were not vicious, unruly, or. unmanageable. Plaintiff further alleged that he hired a horse from the defendant, paid an agreed consideration therefor, and, with others, started on a • ride; that while riding his horse became unruly and unmanageable and plaintiff was unable to control him; that thereupon plaintiff started to return to the starting point and while.so doing the horse reared and tried to run and when they were close to the fence opening made a sudden turn into and through the opening, dismounting plaintiff and throwing him against a tree, and as a result plaintiff received painful’and serious injuries, some of which were permanent.

The defendant by his answer denied the claims of the plaintiff and specifically denied that the horse hired was vicious and unmanageable or had propensities which rendered him unfit for riding purposes and denied any. knowledge of such tendencies on the part of such horse, and -further alleged that the injury received by plaintiff was one incident to the risk of riding horses.

When plaintiff rested the defendant moved for a directed verdict in his favor, basing such motion largely upon the claim that plaintiff failed to present sufficient evidence to warrant the court in submitting the case to the jury. Such motion was overruled and the cause was submitted to the jury, resulting in a. verdict for the plaintiff, whereupon defendant filed a motion for a new trial and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and .upon the same being overruled appealed to this court.

I. No question was raised as to the nature or extent of ap *38 pellee’s injuries or that the verdict was excessive or the result of passion and prejudice.

II. Appellant urged on appeal three grounds wherein he claims the court committed error and that because of these errors appellant is entitled to a reversal.

The errors claimed and argued on this appeal by appellant are as follows:

1. Overruling' motions for directed verdict based on insufficiency of the evidence.

2. Overruling objections to question's calling for the opinion of four witnesses as to whether or not the horse Romeo was vicious, unsafe, and unsuitable for riding purposes.

3. Submitting to the jury Instructions Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8, presenting the issue of breach of implied warranty.

We will consider these matters in the order above stated.

III. The first question presented is whether the court erred in overruling appellant’s motion to direct a verdict in his favor and in submitting to the jury the issues raised in the petition of appellee.

In passing upon the motion to direct a verdict against him, appellee,, under the familiar rule, was entitled to have the evidence considered in its most favorable light in his behalf.

We do not think that the court erred in submitting the case to the jury. We think that there was ample evidence in the record to generate a jury question. We call attention to a few of the facts appearing in the record which we think sustain our holding. Appellee was a man forty-two years of age and had not ridden a horse for over twenty years. The record does show that when • a youth he did some riding, the extent thereof not appearing. He worked on a newspaper in Iowa City, and there is nothing in the record to indicate he had any experience in riding horses following his youth. On the date in question, along with a group, he went to appellant’s riding academy and had a horse assigned to him. This horse went under the name of Romeo. The record shows that Romeo was purchased by the appellant in Cedar Rapids in March 1942, and was sold in October 1942. As witnesses, neither the appellant nor his son could remember the name of the man from whom Romeo had been purchased, nor the name of the man to whom *39 he was later sold. The record shows that the horse was unbroken to work or ride when purchased. Various witnesses among the group testified to the actions and demeanor of the horse Romeo while being ridden on the trip. There is evidence that he was high-spirited and inclined to run and when sought to be restrained wo-uld rear. Appellee testified that on the trip Romeo wanted to run; was hard to control; that he reared on hi.s hind legs when the rider tried to hold him back;' that on the trip he exhibited what are known as “outlaw” traits in wanting to be at the lead; that as they started home Romeo ran on a gallop in spite of appellee’s efforts to hold him back; that appellant, riding in the group, told appellee, “just leave the horse have his head”; that when the reins were loosed temporarily Romeo -would start to run and when the reins -were pulled up he would rear on his hind legs. Appellee testified that as they were approaching the opening in the fence he was riding a few feet from a horse ridden by Mr. Urban; that at this point Romeo was running and then suddenly and swiftly swerved to the right, bumping into the Urban horse and causing that horse to strike appellee’s right shoulder, throwing appellee off and against a tree, that was at the edge of the gate. Following this, Romeo bolted for the starting point.

The force of the impact threw Urban from his mount and he was dragged for some distance with one foot in the stirrup. There were other witnesses whose testimony corroborated the statements of appellee. Some of these witnesses were riding closely behind appellee just before the accident. The appellant introduced considerable testimony to show that Romeo was a gentle horse and could be ridden by almost any person. Phyllis Langer, testifying for appellant, said that Romeo was full of life. Kathryn Neuzil, for appellant, testified that she had assisted at the riding academy during the summer of 1942; that she helped assign the horses to the various riders; that she never rode Romeo but that girls and men had ridden him. The following statement by her as a witness is rather significant:

“Romeo was one of the horses that I usually assigned to anyone of the group that had done some riding. We didn’t have excellent horsemen in our group, none of .them were ex- *40 cellcnt. horsemen.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Tribe v. Peterson
964 P.2d 1238 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1998)
Hojem v. Kelly
584 P.2d 451 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1978)
McDonald v. Burgess
255 A.2d 299 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1969)
Finneran v. Wood
241 A.2d 579 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1968)
Fortune v. Holmes
348 S.W.2d 894 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1960)
Herbert v. Ziegler
139 A.2d 699 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1958)
Koser v. Hornback
265 P.2d 988 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1954)
State v. Mabrey
60 N.W.2d 889 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1953)
Harris v. Breezy Point Lodge, Inc.
56 N.W.2d 655 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1953)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 N.W.2d 6, 235 Iowa 35, 1944 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 484, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evans-v-upmier-iowa-1944.