Gish v. Los Angeles Railway Corp.

90 P.2d 792, 13 Cal. 2d 570, 1939 Cal. LEXIS 279
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedMay 25, 1939
DocketL. A. No. 17009
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 90 P.2d 792 (Gish v. Los Angeles Railway Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gish v. Los Angeles Railway Corp., 90 P.2d 792, 13 Cal. 2d 570, 1939 Cal. LEXIS 279 (Cal. 1939).

Opinion

HOUSER, J.

While riding as a passenger on one of the street cars of the defendant corporation, plaintiff, Katherine M. Gish, assertedly sustained injuries. With relation thereto, as a foundation for an action for the recovery of a judgment for damages against the defendant, the complaint which was filed by the plaintiffs contained the following allegation, to wit:

" That on or about the 30th day of July, 1936, while plaintiff, Katherine M. Gish, was riding as a passenger for pay on the ‘L’ ear of said defendant at or near Ninth and West-lake in the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, State of California, defendant, without regard to the rights of plaintiff, so negligently, carelessly and recklessly suddenly stopped said car with a tremendous jolt and shock as to throw plaintiff, Katherine M. Gish, against the inner portion of said railway car, severely and seriously injuring said plaintiff physically in such a manner as to cause her severe and grievous physical and mental suffering. ’ ’

On the trial of the action, concerning the manner in which the accident occurred, in substance, the said plaintiff testified that after she had “boarded” an “L” car and had walked to a place therein at which she had expected to become seated, “there was a man had some packages, and he moved the packages back for me to sit down; and as he was moving those packages back, just as he had it all back, and I bended my knees just enough that I had really lost control of my feet, in a way, and just then the old ‘L’ car gave a tremendous jerk and lunge and it threw me against an up[572]*572right post—solid wood post. . . . the car gave a tremendous jerk, jerk or lunge, and landed me against that post, . . . ” Thereafter in her testimony the said plaintiff narrated facts which related to an oral complaint which, within a few minutes after the accident had occurred, she had made to the conductor of the street car regarding the happening of the accident, the events which were connected with the manner in which shortly thereafter she had traveled to her home, and the various and sundry injuries and ills which she had sustained and suffered by reason of the accident,—in which latter facts her testimony was corroborated by other witnesses. On behalf of the defendant, both the conductor and the motorman, in substance, respectively testified that neither had knowledge of any unusual jerk or motion of the street car at or about the time when, according to the testimony of plaintiff, the “tremendous jerk” of the street ear had occurred. In addition thereto, a physician testified regarding the physical condition of said plaintiff after the accident. Following some rebuttal testimony on the part of plaintiffs, the defendant presented its motion to the court that the jury be directed to return its verdict in favor of the defendant,— which motion was granted. The jury returned its verdict as directed and thereupon judgment was entered in favor of the defendant. From such judgment the instant appeal has been taken.

In making the order for a directed verdict, the trial judge indicated that the reason therefor was that the evidence was insufficient to support a judgment, if any, which might be rendered in favor of plaintiff.

Both by statutory provision and by judicial determination, it is well established that “a carrier of persons for reward must use the utmost care and diligence for their safe carriage, ...” (Sec. 2100, Civ. Code, and annotations connected therewith.) Likewise, with reference to the authority of the trial court to direct a verdict, the various pertinent rules that relate thereto are of long standing in this state. In the opinion rendered by this court in the case of Hunt v. United Bank & Trust Co., 210 Cal. 108, 117 [291 Pac. 184], it was ruled as follows: “Unless it can be said that, as a matter of law, no other reasonable conclusion is legally deducible from the evidence, and that any other holding would be so lacking in evidentiary support that an appellate court would be impelled to reverse it upon appeal or a [573]*573trial court set it aside, a court is not justified in taking a case from a jury and itself rendering the decision. (Umsted v. Scofield Eng. Const. Co., 203 Cal. 224 [263 Pac. 799].) Such a motion is in the nature of a demurrer to the evidence, and is governed by practically the same rules, and concedes as true the evidence on behalf of the adverse party, with all fair and reasonable inferences to be deduced therefrom. (Butler-Veitch, Inc., v. Barnard, 77 Cal. App. 709 [247 Pac. 597].) Even though a court might be justified in granting a new trial it would not be justified in directing a verdict on the same evidence. (Estate of Caspar, 172 Cal. 147 [155 Pac. 631].) The power of a court in passing upon such motions is strictly limited. It has no power to weigh the evidence, but is bound to view it in the most favorable light in support of the verdict. The right of a court to direct a verdict is the same as the right of a court to grant a non-suit. This can be done only when, disregarding conflicting evidence and giving plaintiffs ’ evidence all the value to which it is legally entitled, including every legitimate inference which may be drawn therefrom, the result is a determination that there is no evidence of sufficient substantiality to support a verdict in favor of plaintiff if such verdict was given. (Newson v. Hawley, 205 Cal. 188 [270 Pac. 364].) ” To the same effect, see McCurrie v. Southern Pacific Co., 122 Cal. 558 [55 Pac. 324], wherein it is declared (syllabus) that: “Evidence tending to show that plaintiff was injured at a regular station at which the train had stopped, owing to the sudden jerking of the train backward and forward, by reason of which he lost his balance, and was compelled to steady himself by taking hold of the casing of the door, when the door swung to and injured his hand, is sufficient to authorize a jury to find a verdict in his favor, and it is error for the court, upon such evidence, to direct a verdict for the defendant.”

It becomes obvious, therefore, that, after according to the evidence which was adduced by the plaintiffs all the value to which in law it was entitled, unless such evidence was insufficient legally to support a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs, no authority was vested in the trial court to direct the jury to return its verdict in favor of the defendant. With that principle of law in mind, appellants direct attention to the language employed by them in the allegation of their complaint (hereinbefore set forth), together with the sub[574]*574stance of the evidence that was adduced in their behalf; and in that connection, it is contended by them that, having established the fact that at a time when the said plaintiff was a passenger on a street car, she sustained an injury which was caused by some act of the defendant in operating the same, by application of the doctrine known as res ipsa loquitur, a presumption of negligence on the part of the defendant was created,—which in itself constituted sufficient evidence to entitle plaintiff to have the issue of negligence, and the cause, generally, submitted to the jury for its determination. On the other hand, although not questioning the general effect of the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur

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Bluebook (online)
90 P.2d 792, 13 Cal. 2d 570, 1939 Cal. LEXIS 279, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gish-v-los-angeles-railway-corp-cal-1939.