Hiscock v. Phinney

142 P. 461, 81 Wash. 117, 1914 Wash. LEXIS 1382
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 11, 1914
DocketNo. 11819
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 142 P. 461 (Hiscock v. Phinney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hiscock v. Phinney, 142 P. 461, 81 Wash. 117, 1914 Wash. LEXIS 1382 (Wash. 1914).

Opinion

Gose, J.

— This is an action to recover damages for the death of a minor son of the plaintiff. The plaintiff alleges that she was dependent upon the son for her support, and that he met his death in consequence of the negligence of the defendant, A. A. Phinney. Plaintiff has appealed from an adverse verdict and judgment.

The casualty happened at or near the southwest corner of 39th avenue and East John street, in the city of Seattle. Thirty-ninth avenue runs northerly and southerly, and East John street runs easterly and westerly and terminates at the avenue, both streets being twenty-four feet in width. The avenue is winding. The boy was engaged in carrying and delivering groceries and meat by means of a bicycle. The respondent was driving a Lozier car, five feet in width, weighing 4,400 pounds, north along the avenue. The boy was riding east on John street. Both were traveling down hill. The [119]*119boy either had turned, or was in the act of turning, south into the avenue. There is a high embankment covered with shrubbery at the southwest corner of the avenue and street where the accident happened. The respondent and other witnesses testified that one traveling north on the avenue cannot see into East John street because of the high embankment and shrubbery. The respondent testified that he was driving about the center of the street, at a speed of seven or eight miles an hour; that, when he first saw the boy, he was six or seven feet distant, “coming from behind the bank,” about three feet up John street and “six or seven feet off the southwest curb;” that he, respondent, applied his brakes and stopped his car within six or seven feet; that the boy was riding at a. speed of from fifteen to eighteen miles an hour; and that the boy struck the car, bending the brass knob on the west rear door and buckling the rear fender over the left wheel.

A witness for the appellant testified that he arrived at the scene of the accident about forty minutes after it occurred; that he observed skid marks which commenced at the intersection of the streets and extended northerly ia distance of about ninety feet, and that the west skid mark was from four to six feet from the west curb. This witness said that the east skid mark was lighter and extended for a less distance than the west mark; that he examined the defendant’s machine shortly after the accident, and that the left rear wheel had a smooth tire and the right wheel had a corrugated tire. He further said that, if the respondent’s car had new tires and skidded ninety feet, it should have left a mark on the tires. Another witness said the nearest skid mark was three or four feet from the west curb. The boy’s father testified that the skid marks were about five feet from the west curb, and that they commenced about ten feet south of the comer. Another witness said that the skid marks commenced about ten or fifteen feet south of the comer; that they were three or four feet from the curb, and [120]*120continued about seventy-five feet, curving to the east or the right.

The respondent testified that he had new “Firestone nonskid” tires upon both rear wheels, and that the car did not skid. A witness for the respondent testified that he wias engaged in the business of selling Firestone tires; that he examined the respondent’s tires the morning after the accident; that they were new “Firestone non-skid tires;” that he saw no evidence that either tire had skidded; that “it would be pretty hard to skid;” and that if he had skidded ninety feet, the tire would be worn practically to the “fabric.” Another witness testified in behalf of the respondent that he was an automobile man in the respondent’s employ; that he put on “Firestone non-skid tires,” two or three days before the accident; that there was no mark on the tires after the accident, and that it would not be possible for the car with such tires to skid ninety feet without leaving distinct marks or scars upon the wheels.

The respondent pleaded affirmatively, and the reply admitted, that an ordinance of the city of Seattle provides:

“Sec. 1. A vehicle, except when passing a vehicle ahead, shall keep as near the right hand curb as possible.”

“Sec. 6. A vehicle turning into another street at the right hand shall turn the corner as near the right hand curb as practicable.” Seattle Ordinance, No. 24,597.

The court instructed the jury:

“(10) The other ground of negligence charged in the complaint is that the defendant did run and drive his automobile to the left of the middle of the highway. It is for you to determine from all the evidence in the case whether or not the defendant did run his automobile to the left of the middle of the highway, and if so whether or not it was negligence for him to do so, under all the surrounding circumstances in the case, taking into consideration the locality and all surrounding circumstances.

“(11) I instruct you that, even though you should find from the evidence that the defendant, at the time and place [121]*121of the accident in question, was not driving on the right-hand side of 39th avenue north that fact would not, in itself, constitute negligence. A person is not always required to-drive upon the right-hand side of the street or highway. The law in this state does not require the driver of an automobile to drive upon the right-hand side of the street at all times, but requires the driver or operator of an automobile to turn to the right in meeting vehicles, teams, or persons moving or headed in an opposite direction. A person may rightfully use what is to him the left-hand side of the road, if there is no driver at that time on that side of the road, and if the circumstances are of such a character as not to make his conduct a source of danger reasonably to be apprehended.”

The court also instructed:

“I instruct you that neither the deceased Fred Hiscock nor the automobile of the defendant at the time and place of the accident complained of in this case had a superior right to the use of the streets, but that their rights were equal.”

The appellant assigns error upon the giving of these instructions. The instructions seem to have been based upon the statute rather than the city ordinance, and do not correctly state the law in the light of the ordinance. Under the first section of the ordinance, it was the duty of the respondent to keep “as near the right-hand curb as possible.” This he did not do. Nor is it the law, in the light of the ordinance, that neither “had a superior right to the use of the streets, but that their rights were equal” at the “place” of the accident. Under the ordinance, the boy had a superior right to the use of the right-hand side of the street. Ballard v. Collins, 63 Wash. 493, 115 Pac. 1050; Reynolds v. Pacific Car Co., 75 Wash. 1, 134 Pac. 512. In Ballard v. Collins, in speaking of an ordinance of the city of Seattle, we said:

“While the respondent’s chauffeur was required to exercise reasonable care, he was not required to anticipate that a car was approaching on his side of the street. He had a right to presume that the law of the road would be observed.”

[122]*122So in the case at bar, the boy had a right to assume that he would not meet a traveler upon his side of the street; and so long as he was upon his side of the street, he was traveling with a faith justified by law that he would encounter no object traveling in his direction.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
142 P. 461, 81 Wash. 117, 1914 Wash. LEXIS 1382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hiscock-v-phinney-wash-1914.