Hanusik v. Hanlon

258 Ill. App. 114, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 551
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 4, 1930
DocketGen. No. 8,115
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 258 Ill. App. 114 (Hanusik v. Hanlon) 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
Hanusik v. Hanlon, 258 Ill. App. 114, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 551 (Ill. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Jett

delivered the opinion of the court.

This suit was brought by Andrew Hanusik, appellee, in the circuit court of La Salle county, against James Hanlon, appellant, to recover damages to his car, and for an injury to himself, occasioned in an automobile collision. A jury trial was had resulting in a verdict in favor of appellee, for the sum of $1,500. After overruling the motion for a new trial, the court rendered judgment on the verdict of the jury, from which judgment this appeal is prosecuted by appellant.

The declaration avers that on September 13, 1925, appellee owned an automobile, which he was driving-south on the public highway extending from Ottawa to Grand Ridge; that the appellant also owned an automobile, which he, on said day, was driving south on said highway, two miles south of the City of Ottawa; that it was his duty in driving said automobile to drive at a reasonable rate of speed, having regard to the traffic, and to exercise reasonable care in order to operate the same so that it would not collide with other automobiles, lawfully driven upon the highway, but that the appellant so carelessly and negligently drove and managed his automobile, that while appellee was driving past appellant’s automobile, in the exercise of due and ordinary care, appellant’s automobile ran against and struck appellee’s automobile with great force and violence, causing* appellee’s automobile -to run into the ditch on the left, or east side of the road, and that the force of the impact wrecked appellee’s automobile and rendered it of no value; that the value of the automobile was $1,500; that appellee was thrown out of his seat in the automobile, against divers parts of it, and his right shoulder and side severely bruised; his right arm and head cut and bruised; divers bones of his body dislocated, and he was rendered sick, sore, lame and disordered, and has ever since so remained, and suffered great pain, and been obliged to pay out large sums of money for medical services, and has been rendered unable to carry on his usual business, and lays his damages at $3,000.

To the declaration, appellant pleaded the general issue and a special plea, denying ownership and use of the automobile. No question is raised, however, based upon the special plea, denying ownership and use of the automobile. The record discloses that appellee was riding in the rear of the automobile, in which certain other members of his family were riding, and which was driven by his son. The automobile of appellant was driven by himself. His wife was riding with him. Both of said cars were traveling in a southerly direction on the Bloomington Boad, south of Ottawa; appellee’s car was following appellant’s.

The testimony of appellee’s witnesses is to the effect that at a point about two miles south of Ottawa, between the cars of appellant and appellee, was a third car driven by a man by the name of Stephenson, and that appellee’s son started to drive around the cars of Stephenson and appellant; that when appellee’s car was along side of appellant’s car, appellant turned to the east and appellant’s car struck appellee’s car. Appellant insists that he started to turn east on an east and west highway, and that appellee’s car struck his car. Appellee was injured and his car was damaged. No question is raised with reference to the amount of the damages assessed by the jury.

It is insisted by appellant that he was not negligent in turning to the left as he did. The evidence discloses that appellant did not indicate by holding out his hand that he was intending to turn east on said east and west highway, off of the Bloomington Boad, but he insists that his stop light indicated that he was stopping, and that that should have been sufficient notice that he was likely to turn; that appellee’s car had been following immediately behind appellant’s car, and that the driver of appellee’s car should have-seen said stop light.

It is also urged by appellant that instructions one and two, given on behalf of appellee, are erroneous, and that said instructions, and each of them, directed a verdict; that neither of said instructions required appellee to prove due care on Ms part just prior to and at the time of the collision.

In view of the conclusion we have reached, we will not discuss in detail the testimony, but will say that in our opinion, it was a question of fact for the jury to determine whether or not appellant was guilty of the negligence complained of in the declaration. Instruction number 1 reads as follows:—

“The Court instructs the jury that this is a suit brought by Andrew Hanusik, plaintiff, against James Hanlon, defendant, to recover damages occasioned to the plaintiff’s person and to his automobile on account of the alleged negligence of the defendant, in the driving and operating of Ms said automobile, on or about September 13, 1925, at a point about two miles south of the City of Ottawa; and if the jury believe from the evidence that the plaintiff, at the time in question, while riding in his automobile, then being driven by his son upon the State concrete highway extending from Ottawa, through the Village of Grand Eidge to Streator, Illinois, and at a point about two miles south of the City of Ottawa, overtook the defendant, who was driving his said automobile in the same direction, and that the driver of the plaintiff’s automobile, while in the exercise of ordinary care and skill in the driving of his said automobile, turned to the left side of said concrete highway to pass by the defendant’s automobile, which was then being driven at a slower rate of speed, and that as the plaintiff’s automobile approached upon the left or east side of the defendant’s automobile, in view of the driver of the defendant’s automobile upon said Mghway, the defendant carelessly and negligently turned his automobile towards the left or east side of said highway, and that thereby the same came in contact with, and struck the plaintiff’s automobile and caused it to run into the ditch or lower level at the side of said road, by reason of which the plaintiff’s automobile was damaged, and the plaintiff himself, while riding in said automobile, received personal injuries, then the jury should find the defendant guilty.”

It will be seen (1) that the instruction directed a verdict in case of the finding by the jury of certain facts, (2) that it directed a verdict for appellee if his son was not guilty of negligence, but the defendant was, (3) that the plaintiff was not required to use any care for his own safety, (4) that the driver of appellee’s automobile was not required to use any care in passing appellant’s automobile; he was only required to use care when he was turning out to pass.

There is no evidence in the record showing what appellee was doing at the time his son turned out to pass appellant’s car, nor at the time of the collision. Appellee was not a mere passenger at the time, he was the owner of the car and his son was his servant, driving the car for him. The driver therefore was under his authority and direction.

It is conceded that instruction number one, complained of, directs a verdict, and that it does not require appellee to have been in the exercise of due care and caution for his own safety. It was necessary before appellee was entitled to recover to prove that he was in the exercise of ordinary care immediately before and at the time of the injury. In Gage v. City of Vienna, 196 Ill. App.

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23 N.E.2d 740 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1939)
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269 Ill. App. 553 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1933)

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Bluebook (online)
258 Ill. App. 114, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanusik-v-hanlon-illappct-1930.