Haider v. Finken

239 N.W.2d 508
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 3, 1976
DocketCiv. 9176
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 239 N.W.2d 508 (Haider v. Finken) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Haider v. Finken, 239 N.W.2d 508 (N.D. 1976).

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PAULSON, Judge.

This is an appeal by the plaintiff, Robert E. Haider [hereinafter Haider], from a judgment entered pursuant to a jury verdict of the Ward County District Court dismissing Haider’s amended complaint against the defendant, Wilmar Finken [hereinafter Finken]; and also an appeal from the trial court’s order denying Haider’s motion for a new trial. In this action, recovery is sought from Finken for personal injuries sustained by Haider in an October 9, 1972, motor vehicle accident.

Haider’s amended complaint is predicated on his assertion that Finken was negligently and willfully operating in an unlawful manner a farm tractor which was towing an overwidth cultivator on State Highway No. 53, after sunset on the date in question, and that such action by Finken was the proximate cause of a collision between the automobile being driven by Haider and the rear of Finken’s towed cultivator, in which collision Haider was injured. Finken contends, however, as an affirmative defense, that Haider was himself contributorily negligent 1 in that he failed to maintain a proper lookout, that he was driving at an excessive speed, and that he failed to have his automobile under control, thereby barring any recovery.

The accident occurred sometime after sunset (which was at 7:09 p. m.) on the evening of October 9,1972, in the eastbound lane of State Highway No. 53, a two-lane blacktopped rural highway. The exact time of the accident, as well as the extent of visibility at such time, is in dispute. Testimony indicates that the accident occurred sometime between 7:30 and 7:45 p. m. CDT.

Finken, after completing his day’s field work, entered State Highway No. 53 with his tractor-cultivator unit and was traveling east on the south lane of the highway at about six miles per hour. The cultivator was sixteen feet wide, but while being towed was in the raised position, so that it did not project into the north, westbound, lane. The top of the cultivator was about three feet above the road’s surface. Finken had the tractor headlights burning. In addition, he also had a white field light burning, which was mounted on the left rear fender of the tractor. Such light is a [511]*511sealed-beam light, smaller than a headlight, and normally is used for illuminating machinery and work areas at night. There were no lights or reflectors of any kind on the cultivator, nor was there a triangular “slow-moving vehicle” sign mounted on the cultivator. There was, however, a “slow-moving vehicle” sign mounted on the rear of the tractor.

At the scene of the accident, State Highway No. 53 is a straight, level blacktop road, with a traveled mat between 36 and 38 feet wide. At the time of the accident, the road surface was dry, there was no loose gravel on the asphalt pavement, and the weather was clear. Approximately one-half mile west of the accident scene is the crest of a small rise, and there is also a slight rise in the road some distance to the east of the accident scene.

The Haider vehicle was also traveling in an easterly direction, in the south lane of traffic on Highway No. 53. The Haider vehicle collided with the rear of the towed cultivator about one foot to the left of its center. The Haider vehicle left skid marks of 59 feet 6 inches on the highway before colliding with the cultivator. The impact point on the cultivator was 6 feet 8 inches from the south edge of the traveled mat of the roadway. The tractor wheels also left skid marks on the highway’s surface after impact. The car continued forward after impact for about 30 feet, leaving gouge marks and additional skid marks on the •highway. The right rear tire of the Haider vehicle came to rest about 21 feet 3 inches east of the impact point. The tractor continued traveling forward, angling into the south ditch about 89 feet from the impact point. The entire front of the Haider vehicle was demolished, and the cultivator extensively damaged.

The accident was reported to the State Radio Communications office in Bismarck at 7:46 p. m. CDT by Finken’s wife. Such report was made after Finken had regained consciousness, had walked to his farm house (which is located about one-fourth of a mile north of the accident scene), and, although still somewhat dazed, had indicated to his wife that there were injured people at the accident scene and told her that the police should be called.

Haider and his wife, who was a passenger in the Haider vehicle, were both knocked unconscious in the accident, and both suffered from retrograde amnesia, even at the time of the trial. Consequently, neither was able to testify as to the events immediately preceding or following the accident.

The case was tried to a jury on the theories of negligence and contributory negligence, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of Finken, dismissing Haider’s amended complaint. Haider thereafter moved for a new trial, on1 grounds which are substantially the same as those presented for our review on this appeal. After the denial of such motion, Haider appealed.

The issues which Haider presents for our consideration in this appeal are as follows:

1. Did the trial court give an “assured clear distance” instruction, and, if so, did the trial court err in giving such instruction?
2. Did the trial court err in refusing to give Haider’s requested instruction on the sudden emergency doctrine?
3. Did the trial court err in refusing to give Haider’s ⅜ requested instruction that contributory negligence would not bar Haider’s recovery if Finken intentionally violated statutes governing the lighting requirements and for the operation of farm equipment on the State’s highways?
4. Did the' trial court err in admitting testimony regarding the number and ages of Finken’s children?
5. Did the trial court err in refusing to admit testimony regarding Haider’s habit of dimming his automobile headlights when meeting oncoming traffic?
6. Did the trial court err in refusing to give Haider’s requested instruction that there is a presumption that a person with retrograde amnesia was acting with due care?

[512]*512I.

Haider’s first contention is that the emphasized portion of the following jury instruction given by the trial court invokes the “assured clear distance” rule:

“OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE
“It is the duty of every driver to exercise ordinary care in the operation of a motor vehicle, and, while exercising such care, to drive it at such speed and in such manner as to be able to avoid colliding with other persons and objects upon the roadway. The care required must be measured by reference to the surrounding circumstances and the risks or danger known to the driver at the time of the act in question or that would have been known to him had he exercised ordinary care.
“While driving his vehicle upon a highway, a driver must not only see what is in plain sight, but he is expected to see any object within the ordinary range of his vision if it would have been seen by a reasonably prudent person while exercising ordinary care under similar circumstances.

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Haider v. Finken
239 N.W.2d 508 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1976)

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239 N.W.2d 508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/haider-v-finken-nd-1976.