Greyhound Corp. v. Gonzales De Aviles

1963 OK 223, 391 P.2d 273, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 581
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 8, 1963
DocketNo. 40147
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1963 OK 223 (Greyhound Corp. v. Gonzales De Aviles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greyhound Corp. v. Gonzales De Aviles, 1963 OK 223, 391 P.2d 273, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 581 (Okla. 1963).

Opinion

BERRY, Justice.

The parties here will be referred to as they appeared in the lower court.

Plaintiff, surviving widow and a citizen of Mexico, brought this action in the Superior Court of Creek County, Oklahoma, against defendants, the Greyhound Corporation and its driver, Lark.Villines. Plaintiff’s petition, 'briefly summarized, alleged that her deceased husband, Francisco Aviles Alvarado, was a paying passenger on defendants’ bus; that he had boarded at Chicago, Illinois, with the intention of returning to his home in Ojudas, Jalisco, Mexico; that he never arrived -at his destination ; that he was shot to death while on the bus during its stop in McAlester, Oklahoma; and that her husband’s injury and death were proximately and directly caused by the negligent acts of defendants. Plaintiff’s petition of some twelve pages contained detailed allegations of the circumstances and events leading up to and including the actual shooting.

Defendants answered by general denial and alleged contributory negligence on the part of deceased and intervening negligence of third party or parties. The matter came on for trial on these issues.

At the trial plaintiff called defendant bus driver who testified that he took over the bus at Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the passengers who had proceeded that far from Chicago; that deceased was a passenger; that the “run” originated in Chicago and terminated at Laredo, Texas; that plaintiff’s decedent was a passenger and had a ticket; and that he reached the town of McAlester, Oklahoma, but did not go beyond that day.

Plaintiff then presented, by deposition, the testimony of an executive of deceased’s employer who testified to deceased’s employment record and earnings; the testimony of the supervisor of dock operations who testified to the good working habits [275]*275and physical condition of deceased and the testimony of an executive of deceased’s previous employer who testified to deceased’s earnings, social security number and number of dependents. Plaintiff then entered into evidence two pictures of a dead man lying on a slab in a morgue showing two bullet punctures in his chest over his heart and blood stains on his clothing. These exhibits were identified as pictures of deceased. Plaintiff’s fifth1 witness, also by deposition, was a passenger on the bus who testified in substance that he remembered the bus reaching McAlester, Oklahoma; that he heard no commotion on the bus prior to the shooting; that he saw “two cops” coming toward the bus; that the bus driver led them into the bus; that he knew they were there inside the bus although he wasn’t watching them; that he had never seen the deceased until he (the passenger) walked past deceased to get off the bus and that he was dead or shot.

Plaintiff then took the stand herself and, through an interpreter, testified that she was deceased’s widow; that he died in McAlester, Oklahoma; that they had seven children; that deceased worked in the United States 7 or 8 months out of each year and spent the other time with his family in Mexico; that he sent $150.00 to $250.00 home each month when he worked in the United States; that he earned money trading at home; that he was a good family man and supported his family. Plaintiff further introduced an inventory of the personal effects found on deceased, including 200 pesos; $660.00 in travelers checks; United States money totaling $15.80; a watch and his social security card. She further testified that he was healthy, without deformity and was traveling between Chicago and Ojuelas, Mexico, so as to spend Christmas and New Year with his family. Plaintiff’s testimony was corroborated in the main by her eldest son, the final witness.

Plaintiff then introduced by stipulation that decedent was 39 years of age at his death and had a normal life expectancy of 30.08 years, and rested.

Defendants demurred separately to plaintiff’s evidence and moved for a directed verdict. The demurrers were overruled by the trial court. Defendants introduced no evidence and the cause was submitted by the trial court to the jury who returned a verdict for plaintiff. After defendants’ motion for new trial was overruled, they lodged this appeal.

Defendants contend here in substance that there are no facts in this record which would impose legal liability upon them, and cite 10 Am.Jur. 157-158 which states, inter alia, the general rule, i. e.: “ * * * A carrier of passengers is not responsible for an injury caused by an unforeseen accident against which human care and foresight could not guard and which is not caused in any degree by acts of negligence. * * ⅜ Nor will it be liable for injuries arising from the acts of strangers or fellow passengers over whom the carrier has no control, and whose actions are not reasonably to be expected” as authority.

Defendants urge error under three propositions. Proposition I states: “Carrier of persons for hire owes passengers the highest degree of care, but is not an insurer of passengers against all hazards, and liability for injury must be based solely upon negligence.”

To our minds this is a correct statement of the law and we have so held. See Syllabus 2 of Southwestern Motor Carriers v. Nash, 195 Okl. 604, 159 P.2d 745.

Defendants’ Proposition II states: “There is a complete lack^ of evidence of primary negligence or breach of duty on the part of defendants” and urges that the trial court therefore erred when it overruled defendants’ demurrers to the evidence and motion for directed verdict. In support of this proposition, defendants cite Kinglcade Hotel Co. v. Keggin, 208 Okl. 464, 257 P.2d 504, wherein we held in Syllabus 1 that:

“In all actions the plaintiff, to recover against the defendant, must prove not only that a wrong has been committed [276]*276against him, but that the defendant committed the wrong or is responsible for it.”

This, too, is a correct statement of the law.

Defendants further urge under their Proposition II the case of Mohawk Drilling Co. v. McCullough Tool Co. (10th Cir.), Okl., 271 F.2d 627, wherein that court, after reviewing the law of Oklahoma, held that:

“Under the Oklahoma decisions the fact that an accident happened and an injury resulted therefrom does not create a presumption of negligence, in the absence of facts and circumstances which' warrant the application of the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur.”

In the instant case we are governed by the rules applicable to civil actions generally. 60 C.J.S. Motor Vehicles § 167. That is, in considering the trial court’s action on defendants’ demurrer to the evidence and motion for new trial, we will consider the facts and circumstances and the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to plaintiff’s theory of the case in order to determine the question of defendants’ negligence (and other issues involved in the case) and apply the well-established rule that in an action of legal cognizance, tried to a jury, the jury’s verdict and judgment based thereon will not be set aside if there is any evidence or inferences to be drawn therefrom, reasonably tending to sustain it. Sec Hembree v. Southard, Okl., 339 P.2d 771.

In our opinion the evidence in the instant case shows this and no more: Plaintiff’s decedent bought a Greyhound ticket in Chicago and boarded the bus to go to a point in Mexico.

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Bluebook (online)
1963 OK 223, 391 P.2d 273, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 581, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greyhound-corp-v-gonzales-de-aviles-okla-1963.