Ferguson v. Highway Insurance Underwriters

109 So. 2d 289
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 26, 1959
Docket4719-4720
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 109 So. 2d 289 (Ferguson v. Highway Insurance Underwriters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ferguson v. Highway Insurance Underwriters, 109 So. 2d 289 (La. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

109 So.2d 289 (1959)

Dorothy R. FERGUSON, Natural Tutrix of the Minor, Frank Ferguson,
v.
HIGHWAY INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS et al.
L. L. ROSHONG and L. L. Roshong, Administrator for the Minor, Loman Roshong,
v.
CANAL INSURANCE CO. et al.

Nos. 4719-4720.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

January 26, 1959.
Rehearing Denied March 9, 1959.

*291 Lawes, Cavanaugh, Hickman & Brame, Meredith T. Holt, Lake Charles, for Hwy. Ins. Underwriters.

Gravel, Humphreys, Sheffield & Mansour, Alexandria, for Canal Ins. Co.

Jess Funderburk, Jr., Leesville, for appellee.

Before ELLIS, LOTTINGER, and FRUGE, JJ.

ELLIS, Judge.

These two cases involve an appeal from a judgment in favor of two minor guest passengers against a father of the minor driving the car in which they were riding and his insurer, and against the owner and operator and his insurer, as a result of a collision between two motor vehicles on April 9, 1956.

It is agreed that the facts as found by the lower court are substantially correct, and we find them to be so, but appellants disagree with the conclusions of the lower court based upon its finding of fact. It will be pointless for this court not to adopt the statement of fact as contained in the lower court's reasons, although it will be necessary that we enlarge upon the facts in discussing appellants' contention that the lower court erred in its conclusions, based upon such facts. We therefore take the liberty of adopting the following quoted part of the lower court's written reasons for judgment:

"These two cases are damage suits arising out of a motor vehicle collision which occurred in the town of Leesville, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, on April 9, 1956. Suit bearing number 16,666 was instituted by Mrs. Dorothy R. Ferguson, as natural tutrix for her minor son Frank Ferguson, and suit number 16,667 was instituted by L. L. Roshong as administrator for his minor son Loman Roshong. The defendants in both cases are Canal Insurance Company, Highway Insurance Underwriters, Eddie Myers, Abner O. Cantrell and Dixie Red Top Cab Company, which company is alleged to be partnership.

"After issue was joined the two suits were consolidated for trial and in due course the trial was completed. The cases are now before the Court for decision on their merits.

"The evidence establishes that a motor vehicle collision occurred about midnight on April 9, 1956, between a Studebaker automobile *292 owned by defendant, Abner O. Cantrell, and a Plymouth automobile owned by defendant, Eddie Myers (Also known as Kenard Myers) who was the owner and operator of a taxi business known as Red Top Cab Company. At the time of the accident the Cantrell automobile was being driven by Richard O. Cantrell, minor son of the owner, and in addition to the driver it was occupied by Frank Ferguson and Loman Roshong, both of whom were seated on the rear seat of the car, and by Dale Jeter, who was sitting just to the right of the driver on the front seat. Richard O. Cantrell was 18 years of age and the ages of the other occupants of that car ranged from 17 to 20 years. The Myers vehicle was being driven at that time by its owner, Eddie Myers, and there were no other occupants of the car at that time.

"Defendant Cantrell was insured against public liability by Highway Insurance Underwriters, with bodily injury limits of $5,000 to one person and $10,000 to all persons arising out of one accident. Defendant Myers was insured by Canal Insurance Company, with bodily injury limits of $5,000 to one person and $10,000 to all persons. Dixie Red Top Cab Company (Or Red Top Cab Company) is not a partnership, as alleged, but is simply the trade name under which defendant Myers operates his taxi business.

"The accident occurred on U.S. Highway 171 within the corporate limits of the Town of Leesville. The highway at that point is a heavily traveled paved thoroughfare, running north and south, the concrete portion of the highway being 24 feet in width, with wide shoulders on either side of the slab. The road is straight and there was nothing to obstruct the vision of a driver for several hundred yards in either direction from the point of impact. An ordinance of the town of Leesville, fixes the speed limit along the highway at that point at 30 miles per hour. At the time of the accident the night was dark, the weather was cloudy and misty and the highway was wet.

"Just prior to the time the collision occurred young Cantrell, with his three passengers, drove out of the parking area of the Pines Barbeque Stand, which is located about three miles south of the corporate limits of the town of Leesville, and began traveling in a northerly direction along U.S. Highway 171 toward Leesville. The driver rapidly increased the speed of that car until it reached a speed of approximately 75 or 80 miles per hour. Shortly after the car reached this speed Ferguson and Roshong, who were in the back seat, entered into a conversation with each other in which they both indicated that they did not like to ride in an automobile being driven at a high rate of speed. They purposely talked loud in order that their conversation could be overheard by the driver, and both occupants of the front seat of the car confirm that they heard what was said. Cantrell testified that he understood from this conversation that Ferguson and Roshong wanted him to slow down. Approximately one miles before they reached the corporate limits of Leesville, Jeter, who was on the front seat asked the driver to slow down, and immediately thereafter the speed of the car was reduced to a speed of between 50 and 60 miles per hour.

"Shortly after entering the city limits of Leesville, all of the occupants of the Cantrell car observed the Myers vehicle about 200 or 300 feet ahead of them in the process of making a U-turn in the highway, driving at a speed of between five and ten miles per hour. Upon seeing the Myers car start across the highway in front of them Jeter shouted a warning to Cantrell, who immediately applied his brakes but was unable to avoid the collision which followed. The tires of the Cantrell car skidded along the paved highway a distance of at least 210 feet to the point where the collision occurred.

*293 "The evidence establishes that the Cantrell car was being driven at a speed in excess of 50 miles per hour at the time the occupants first observed the Myers vehicle starting to cross the highway. The skid marks show that all four wheels of the Cantrell car remained on the paved portion of the highway from the time the brakes were first applied until the collision occurred, and the point of impact was in the east line of traffic. The right front wheel of the Myers car struck the left rear door of the Cantrell car, causing damages to both vehicles and injuries to Ferguson and Roshong.

"Under these facts plaintiffs contend that the drivers of both vehicles were negligent, and that all of the defendants are liable in solido for the damages sustained by plaintiffs. Defendant Cantrell and his insurer contend that the drivers of both vehicles were negligent, but contend that Ferguson and Roshong were contributorily negligent and thus are barred from recovering. Defendant Myers and his insurer contend that Myers was without fault, that the sole proximate cause of the accident was the negligence of Cantrell, and that plaintiffs were contributorily negligent."

From the above and foregoing facts the lower court as to the negligence of Myers and the driver of the Cantrell car concluded:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
109 So. 2d 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ferguson-v-highway-insurance-underwriters-lactapp-1959.