Graham v. Dressen

10 N.E.2d 843, 292 Ill. App. 15, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 382
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 15, 1937
DocketGen. No. 9,050
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 10 N.E.2d 843 (Graham v. Dressen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graham v. Dressen, 10 N.E.2d 843, 292 Ill. App. 15, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 382 (Ill. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Davis

delivered the opinion of the court.

A complaint was filed by Ruth G-raham, plaintiff appellee, in the circuit court of Macon county by which she sought to recover damages from Elmer Dressen, defendant appellant, for injuries alleged to have been caused by the negligence of said defendant in the operation of his automobile. The defendant filed an answer and counterclaim. Helen McDermott, who was in the car of defendant at the time of the alleged accident, was permitted to become a party defendant and filed a counterclaim. A trial resulted in a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against the defendant, Elmer Dressen, for the sum of $5,000. The court at the close of the evidence directed a verdict in favor of plaintiff on the counterclaims of the defendants, and no question is raised on this appeal relating to said counterclaims.

The errors relied upon for a reversal of said judgment are that the court erred in denying appellants’ motion to exclude the evidence of appellee as to the medical and hospital expenses because there was no proof that the charges were the reasonable and customary charges for the services rendered; that the verdict is against the manifest weight of the evidence; and that instructions numbered one, two, three, four, five, nine and ten, were improper instructions.

The evidence discloses that Jacqueline Noblet, a supervisory parole agent for the State of Illinois, with an office and residence at Springfield, was an old acquaintance of Ruth G-raham, plaintiff, who was a guest of Mrs. Noblet.

It became necessary for Mrs. Noblet, in the performance of the duties of her office, to go to Marion, Illinois, to pick up a girl who had escaped from the Lincoln State School and Colony at Lincoln, Illinois. Appellee accompanied her. On the return trip from Marion they went to Decatur and turned left on Route 121 and proceeded in a westerly direction towards Lincoln. Mrs. Noblet was driving, and Miss Graham and the girl were in the back seat, Miss Graham sitting on the right and the girl on the left. At the intersection of Route 121 with the first north and south township road, east of Warrensburg and about a mile south of Warrensburg, a collision occurred between the car of Mrs. Noblet and a car of Mr. Dressen. It was about 8:30 in the evening. The car of Mrs. Noblet was struck in front of the right rear wheel and it came to rest on its side in the ditch on the left side of the pavement. The car of the defendant Dressen came from the right on the dirt road, and did not stop. There was a stop sign on this township road, north of the hard road.

Mrs. Noblet testified that Mr. Dressen said he didn’t see me, that he did not realize he was driving so near a State road; he said he did not stop. This testimony was not denied by defendant Dressen, although Helen McDermott testified that he did not say he did not know there was a hard road there and did not say he had not stopped.

Mrs. Noblet was driving a 1934 Chevrolet coach which was fully equipped with lights and the lights were on. She testified that as she approached the intersection she noticed lights. She was traveling at about 40 miles per hour and accelerated her car. The car was within a distance of a shoulder from her before she noticed it. The evidence further shows that there were marks on the edge of the pavement. They were dark and extended back from the edge of the pavement on the loose gravel in the township road 18 or 20 feet and not over three feet on the pavement. Appellant Dressen testified that after he turned south on the dirt road he moved his spotlight up and down over to the right side of the road. He saw the lights of another car to his left, which was 400 to 600 feet from the intersection. The car was going from 50 to 60 miles per hour. As soon as he realized the road was in front of him he applied his brakes and cramped the wheels to the west.

Appellants contend the testimony of appellee conclusively shows that she was not in the exercise of due care for her own safety. The question of due care on the part of plaintiff is always a question of fact to be submitted to the jury whenever there is any evidence in the record which, with any legitimate inference that may reasonably and legally be drawn therefrom, tends to show the exercise of due care on his part. In considering the question of due care on the part of the plaintiff it is well to remember that this cannot always be shown by direct proof but the evidence as adduced by the plaintiff should disclose facts from which it may reasonably be inferred that he was in the exercise of due care. Blumb v. Getz, 366 Ill. 273.

There is no rule of law which prescribes any particular act to be done or omitted by a person who finds himself in a place of danger. In the variety of circumstances which constantly arise, it is impossible to announce such a rule. The only requirement of the law is that the conduct of the person involved shall be consistent with what a man of ordinary prudence would do under like circumstances. Stack v. East St. Louis & Suburban Ry. Co., 245 Ill. 308, 92 N. E. 241.

From the evidence we cannot say that plaintiff was not in the exercise of due care for her own safety or that her conduct was not consistent with that of an ordinarily prudent man under like circumstances.

It was the province of the jury to pass upon all questions of fact. The jury saw and heard the" witnesses testify. A verdict will not be set aside or reversed as against the weight of the evidence unless "clearly and manifestly so. Moore v. Aurora, E. & C. R. Co., 150 Ill. App. 484.

From an examination of the record in this case we are of opinion that the contention of appellants that the verdict of the jury is against the manifest weight of the evidence is without merit.

At the conclusion of appellee’s evidence appellants moved the court to strike the testimony of Miss Graham with reference to the hospital bills and other expenses she testified she paid for the reason no sufficient foundation had been laid for such testimony, and also because there was no testimony as to the reasonableness of the charges made in the bill, and because there was no testimony as to the reasonableness of the charges as contained in the different items she testified to. The testimony as to Dr. Lewin’s bill was admitted to have been properly proven. Appellee testified as to the items paid by her for doctor’s bills, hospital bills, and also as to the item of $500, a bill from Dr. Lewin, upon which she had paid $100; a bill for $730.05 rendered by the Michael Eeese Hospital, $34.50 of which had been paid; and a total of $329.95 had been paid by her, and $1,196.05 was still due.

It will be seen that the motion failed to point out any particular item of evidence which appellants desired to have excluded. The motion should have pointed out the particular items of expense which appellants desired to have excluded. Had the motion been granted the jury would not have known what parts were excluded. Coburn v. Moline, E. M. & W. R. Co., 149 Ill. App. 132; Stout v. Taylor, 168 Ill. App. 410.

The evidence discloses that certain bills testified to by appellee had been paid by her. Proof of payment of the bills by appellee made a prima facie case that the charges were in fact reasonable and it was proper for the jury to consider such items as an element of damages. Wicks v. Cuneo-Henneberry Co., 319 Ill. 344, 150 N. E. 276.

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Bluebook (online)
10 N.E.2d 843, 292 Ill. App. 15, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graham-v-dressen-illappct-1937.