Fitzwater v. Cincinnati, Newport & Covington R.

234 S.W.2d 186, 314 Ky. 157, 1950 Ky. LEXIS 1017
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedOctober 27, 1950
StatusPublished

This text of 234 S.W.2d 186 (Fitzwater v. Cincinnati, Newport & Covington R.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fitzwater v. Cincinnati, Newport & Covington R., 234 S.W.2d 186, 314 Ky. 157, 1950 Ky. LEXIS 1017 (Ky. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

Judge Latimer

Affirming.

Two separate actions are involved in this appeal. Pearl Fitzwater in her action sought to recover from appellee for permanent injuries. Her husband, William Fitzwater, in his action sought recovery for loss of consortium and expenses. The causes were tried together, resulting in verdict for appellee.

Motion and grounds for new trial were filed in each case. In the wife’s case the grounds for new trial were: (1) The verdict is contrary to the law and evidence. (2) The court erred in instructions as given. In the husband’s case the ground was merely the verdict is contrary to the law and evidence.

Later an effort was made to amend the motion and grounds for a new trial by filing additional grounds. Objection was interjected thereto and the court sustained the objection. Appellants are here attacking the [159]*159instructions as given in the Pearl Fitzwater case, and insisting the court erred in both cases in refusing to allow 'appellants to file the additional grounds for a new trial.

We consider first the question as to the additional grounds. The question goes to the alleged misleading answers given by a prospective juror on voir dire examination. The affidavit of appellants’ attorney in support of the motion shows that Mr. Daly, attorney for appellee, Railway Company, asked the panel whether or not any of them had ever had a claim against the Company for personal injuries. All the jurors remained silent, and Mr. Daly said: “I take it by your silence that you have not.” Immediately after the noon adjournment, Mr. Daly called to' the attention of Mr. Aurandt, attorney for plaintiff, that one of the jurors had settled a claim with the Company and showed Mr. Aurandt a release signed by the juror. Together they reported these facts to the court. Mr. Aurandt’s affidavit in support of the motion does not say that at that time he filed motion to set aside the swearing of the jury, or took any steps or made any request for a ruling by the court. Appellants, in brief, say that no ruling thereon was made but that the court indicated a desire that the trial proceed. The affidavit of Mr. Daly, relative to the same matter, does say that “no motion to set aside the swearing of the jury for this case was made at the time by either Harry K. Aurandt, attorney for plaintiff, or this affiant.”

. It will readily be observed that the question before the court was not merely the right to amend a motion for new trial by setting up additional grounds. ■ The cases cited, and many others, hold that to be right and proper generally. Nor is it the question of the false or misleading answers given by a prospective juror on voir dire examination. The question which confronted the trial court was whether or not a party litigant, after becoming fully aware of a situation, which obviously would justify a motion to discharge the jury, could stand idly by, proceed through the trial, and then, when a verdict is adverse to him, raise for the first time that question in an amended motion and grounds for new trial. Certainly it was not incumbent upon the court, even though the matter was brought to its atten[160]*160tion, to discharge the jury on its own motion or take any action in reference thereto unless requested so to do. In Jefferson Dry Groods Co. v. Blunk, 264 Ky. 673, 95 S.W.2d 244, 247, it was said: “It is the established rule that a party litigant who takes his chance on matters within his knowledge and without objections will not be heard to complain of such matters after the case has been determined adversely to him. ’ ’

We think the court properly struck the additional motion and grounds for new trial in both cases.

Appellant limits her attack upon the instructions to 1, 2, and 3, although in motion and grounds for new trial, she included 1 through 6. Instruction No. 1 reads:

“The jury is instructed that it was the duty of the agent of the defendant company, The Cincinnati, Newport and Covington Railway Company, in operating the Port Mitchell street car upon which the plaintiff, Pearl Pitzwater, was a passenger, to observe the highest degree of care which a prudent person would exercise under like circumstances as shown by the evidence in this case, to transport the plaintiff to her destination in safety.

“If the jury believes from the evidence that while the plaintiff was about to alight from the defendant’s car, and you further believe from the evidence that as the plaintiff was attempting to leave the car, the agents or servants in charge of it, caused it to move with such an unusual, unnecessary and sudden jerk, that plaintiff was thrown to the floor of the car and injured, the jury will find for the plaintiff; unless you so believe, you will find for the defendant.”

• The complaint registered relative to Instruction 1 goes to the language: “* * * and you further believe from the evidence that as the plaintiff was attempting to leave the car, the agents or servants in charge of it, caused it to move with such an unusual, unnecessary and sudden jerk, that plaintiff was thrown to the floor of the car and injured, * * It is insisted such is not applicable to passengers who are alighting from or attempting to board a street car. Stover v. Cincinnati, Newport & Covington Railway Co., 252 Ky. 425, 67 S.W.2d 484, is cited in support of that view. It will be noted that the cited case deals with [161]*161the rule applicable where a passenger is alighting from or stepping on a stationary car, in which case the carrier has no right to move at all. In the instant case, appellant, Mrs. Fitzwater, hoarded a street car owned and operated by appellee in the City of Covington. She alleged in her petition, and undertook to show by her own testimony, that as she left her seat to walk forward in the car as it approached the stop where she intended to alight, the car was operated in such a careless and negligent manner as to cause her to fall and injure herself. Thus, it will he seen that the rule, as announced in the Stover case, does not apply. It is incumbent upon the complainant to show more than ordinary movement of the car, and further show, as a basis of her action, that the jerk which caused her injury was sudden, violent, unusual, and unnecessary. Lyons v. Southeastern Greyhound Lines, 282 Ky. 106, 137 S.W.2d 1107; Louisville Ry. Co. v. Wilder, 143 Ky. 436, 136 S.W. 892; Wilder v. Louisville Ry. Co., 157 Ky. 17, 162 S.W. 557; Louisville Ry. Co. v. Osborne, 157 Ky. 341, 163 S.W. 189; South Covington & C. St. Rwy. Co. v. Trowbridge, 163 Ky. 79, 173 S.W. 371; Millers Creek R. R. Co. v. Blevins, 181 Ky. 800, 205 S.W. 911; Louisville & I. R. Co. v. Roberts, 190 Ky. 744, 228 S.W. 681; Illinois Central R. R. Co. v. Jolly, 117 Ky. 632, 78 S.W. 476. We find no merit in the contention relative to Instruction 1.

The severest criticism is directed at Instructions 2 and 3, which read:

“2

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Related

Lyons v. Southeastern Greyhound Lines
137 S.W.2d 1107 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1940)
Jefferson Dry Goods Co. v. Blunk
95 S.W.2d 244 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1936)
Stover v. Cincinnati, N. & C. Ry. Co.
67 S.W.2d 484 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1934)
Illinois Central R. R. v. Jolly
78 S.W. 476 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1904)
Louisville Railway Co. v. Wilder
136 S.W. 892 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1911)
Wilder v. Louisville Railway Co.
162 S.W. 557 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1914)
Louisville Railway Co. v. Osborne
163 S.W. 189 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1914)
South Covington & Cincinnati Street Railway Co. v. Trowbridge
173 S.W. 371 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1915)
Millers Creek Railroad v. Blevins
205 S.W. 911 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1918)
Louisville & Interurban Railroad v. Roberts
228 S.W. 681 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1920)

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Bluebook (online)
234 S.W.2d 186, 314 Ky. 157, 1950 Ky. LEXIS 1017, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fitzwater-v-cincinnati-newport-covington-r-kyctapp-1950.