Great American Indemnity Co. v. Wilson

140 So. 2d 477, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 1852
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 14, 1962
DocketNo. 5490
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 140 So. 2d 477 (Great American Indemnity Co. v. Wilson) 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
Great American Indemnity Co. v. Wilson, 140 So. 2d 477, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 1852 (La. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

HERGET, Judge.

These two suits arise out of a vehicular collision on November 2, 1958 at about 1:30 p. m. between a 1957 Ford car owned and allegedly driven by William Clayton Milton in a westerly direction on State Route 38, and a 1949 Ford car owned by Willie Wilson and allegedly driven by his unemancipated minor son, Ralph Wilson, in a southerly direction on Anglin Road. The accident happened near the intersection of State Route 38 and Anglin Road east of Kent-wood, in Tangipahoa Parish. State Route 38, a blacktopped road, runs generally east and west and Anglin Road, which is grav-elled, runs generally north and south and forms a “T” intersection with State Route 38 at its southern limit. The general terrain in this area is hilly and to the east of the crest of a hill where these roads intersect there is a valley or depression in the roadway of State Route 38 which, from the intersecting points, effectively prevents one when entering from Anglin Road observing a vehicle in such depressed area.

Great American Indemnity Company, the collision insurer of Milton, having paid the sum of $1,517.28 to Milton and having obtained a subrogation of said claim instituted suit against Willie Wilson, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of his minor son, Ralph Wilson, for the amount of said claim.

Willie Wilson, in his capacity as natural tutor of the minor, Ralph Wilson, sued Milton’s liability insurer, Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company for $10,000 for his minor son’s pain, suffering, mental anguish, permanent disability and impairment; and sued individually for medical expenses and property damage incurred by him which, by stipulation, aggregated $1,170.50.

The two cases were consolidated for the purpose of trial before a civil jury, which jury, after a trial on the merits, returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff, Willie Wilson, as tutor of the minor, Ralph Wilson, in the sum of $7,500 and in favor of Willie Wilson individually in the sum of $2,812.50, the judgment being against Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company. In the case of Great American Indemnity Company against Willie Wilson, individually, and as administrator of the estate of his minor son, Ralph Wilson, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of the defendant, Willie Wilson individually and as the administrator of the estate of his minor son, Ralph Wilson, and against the plaintiff, Great American Indemnity Company, rejecting its demands against said Defendant. The Trial Court denied a new trial upon the consent of Willie Wilson, individually, to a remittitur of $1,663.30, though in the consent to the remittitur filed by counsel for Willie Wilson he reserved his right to judicially seek an increase in the award to Willie Wilson, as tutor on behalf of the minor.

From these judgments, on May 1, 1961 Great American Indemnity Company, through its counsel, was granted an order of appeal to this Court suspensive or, in the alternative, devolutive, returnable June 26, 1961. In the case of Willie Wilson, Individually and as Natural Tutor of the minor, Ralph Wilson v. Detroit Fire and [479]*479Marine Insurance Company, on May 5, 1961 Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company, through its counsel, was granted an appeal to this Court suspensive or, in the alternative, devolutive, returnable on or before June 26, 1961. Both of these appeals were perfected and lodged in this Court on the 5 day of June, 1961 and were heard in this Court concurrently.

On September 25, 1961 in the case of Willie Wilson, Individually and as Natural Tutor of his Minor Son, Ralph Wilson, versus Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company, counsel for Plaintiff filed in this Court an answer to the appeal seeking an increase to the sum of $10,000 in the judgment in favor of plaintiff, Willie Wilson as tutor for the use and benefit of his minor son, Ralph Wilson, and judgment in favor of plaintiff, Willie Wilson, individually, in the sum of $1,170.70.

Counsel for Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company, on September 28, 1961, filed a motion in this Court to dismiss the answer to the appeal by Willie Wilson, individually and as natural tutor of his minor son, Ralph Wilson, for the reason that same was not timely filed.

Relying upon the cases of Martens v. Penton, 15 La.App. 35, 130 So. 354; Fortenberry v. Preferred Accident Ins. Co., La. App., 48 So.2d 657; and Rolls v. Bell Cabs, La.App., 161 So. 911, learned counsel for Great American Indemnity Company and Detroit Fire and Marine Insurance Company maintain that this collision resulted from the sole negligence of Ralph Wilson in entering State Highway 38 from Anglin Road, an inferior highway, without making certain that such entry could be made with safety and in blocking the passage of the westbound Milton car.

The record reveals immediately prior to the accident Ralph Wilson had picked up Ivy Earl Cutrer and together they had stopped at the home of Clarence Schilling located on the Anglin Road about 100 yards from the scene of the accident; Clarence, Ralph and Cutrer were on the back porch of the Schilling home smoking cigarettes when Ralph left to go to the funeral of his aunt; Clarence and Cutrer watched him depart and their testimony is that he stopped on Anglin Road at its intersection with Highway 38; that he entered the intersection, turned left easterly and had traversed some 38 or 40 feet on Louisiana Highway 38 in the the right traffic lane for vehicles proceeding in an easterly direction when the vehicle he was driving was struck in the left front and along the left side by the Milton vehicle proceeding westerly on Route 38 when it veered over into Wilson’s lane of traffic. According to Wilson’s own testimony he stopped at the intersection of Anglin Road with Highway 38, observed no cars approaching from the east on State Highway 38, entered the intersection and turned left on Louisiana Highway 38 into the right lane for easterly traffic and had proceeded easterly for a short distance, 40 or 50 feet, when his vehicle was struck by the Milton car in his, Wilson’s, lane of traffic. In a statement he gave to an adjuster for the insurance company, which was offered in evidence, Wilson related that he did not observe the oncoming Milton car until he was across the center of the blacktop in the act of making his left turn “ * * * an (sic) a split later the impact occurred.” On the trial of the case young Wilson testified that he did not remember making the quoted statement.

Milton testified that he was traveling west on Louisiana Highway 38 at about 60 to 65 miles per hour; that the approach to the Anglin Road which rests at the crest of the hill is a steep incline and as he drove up the hill on Highway 38 he was unable to observe the intersection. He stated as he neared the top of the hill that he observed Wilson who appeared to be attempting to enter the intersection, at which time he, Milton, applied his brakes. He then related upon reflection he determined that Wilson was not going to enter the intersection and that he again accelerated his automobile until he saw Wilson proceed into the highway and he then slammed on his brakes with such force that “ * * * I bent the pedal [480]*480into the floor trying to stop.”; that in attempting to avoid the collision with Wilson he swerved to his left, crossing two feet over the center line of Highway 38 and the left front of his automobile collided with the left front of the Wilson vehicle.

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Bluebook (online)
140 So. 2d 477, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 1852, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/great-american-indemnity-co-v-wilson-lactapp-1962.