Hopkins v. Whelan

217 Ill. App. 248, 1920 Ill. App. LEXIS 52
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided March 9, 1920·No. Gen. No. 6,727·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Dibell

delivered the opinion, of the court.

On the evening of December 19, 1917, Louise Hopkins was struck and injured by an automobile owned and driven by Fred Whelan. She brought this suit to recover damages from him for said injuries and had a verdict and a judgment for $2,000, from which defendant appeals.

Plaintiff was a clerk in an office in Rockford, and lived at her father’s home in. the country. She was returning home at night from her' work and had with her a brother returning from school. They rode on a street car to the end of the line, then walked south on the west sidewalk of a street until after they reached the city limits and soon there was a path down towards the central part of the road which > they followed. There was a macadam road. In the center was a tar surface, variously estimated at from 18 to 24 feet in width, and on each side of that and somewhat lower was the macadam with sand upon it. This macadam and sand was about 6 feet wide. Plaintiff and her brother were going south. Defendant with his automobile came up behind them. Plaintiff introduced evidence tending to show that she and .her brother were each upon the lower level on the sand and macadam, her brother at the west side of that part and she next to Mm, and that she was there struck without knowledge that an automobile was approaching. If the jury believed tMs evidence they could find that defendant was negligent and that plaintiff was in the exercise of due care. Defendant introduced evidence tending to show that he was at all times on the tarred surface, and that just before he reached the place of the injury plaintiff,- without looking back, turned east and went upon the tarred surface a few feet in front of his automobile, and that he stopped as soon as he could. If the jury believed this evidence it warranted a finding that defendant was not negligent and that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence which should bar a recovery. It was therefore important that the jury should be accurately instructed.

The fifth instruction, given at the request of plaintiff, told the jury that if they found certain things therein specified, they should find the defendant guilty and assess such damages “as you shall believe the plaintiff to be entitled to from the evidence in this case.” TMs instruction has been many times condemned where plaintiff was not entitled to punitive damages, because it not only would authorize punitive damages if the jury thought plaintiff was entitled thereto, but also would turn the jury loose to determine for what damages should be awarded, without any guide from the court. We collected the earlier authorities against such an instruction in La Porte v. Wallace, 89 Ill. App. 517. It had since-been condemned by the Supreme Court in Muren Coal & Ice Co. v. Howell, 204 Ill. 515; Illinois Cent. R. Co. v. Johnson, 221 Ill. 42, and Fowler v. Chicago & E. I. R. Co., 234 Ill. 619. It has been condemned by Appellate Courts of the different districts in Galesburg Elec. Motor & Power Co. v. Barlow, 98 Ill. App. 334; Malott v. Woods, 109 Ill. App. 512; Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. v. Kuck, 112 Ill. App. 620; Central Ry. Co. v. Ankiewicz, 115 Ill. App. 380; Illinois Cent. R. Co. v. Becker, 119 Ill. App. 221; and Boggs v. Iowa Cent. Ry. Co., 187 Ill. App. 621. In other cases it has been held that where another instruction laid down the true rule of compensation, such other instruction might cure the error in a proper case. Springfield Consol. Ry. Co. v. Puntenney, 200 Ill. 9; Illinois Terminal R. Co. v. Thompson, 210 Ill. 226; Fitzgerald v. Benner, 219 Ill. 485. In this case the seventh instruction, given at the request of plaintiff, directed the jury under the case stated to award fair compensation to plaintiff. Therefore, under the authorities last cited, if the case is otherwise satisfactory, the error may have been cured.

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Hopkins v. Whelan, 217 Ill. App. 248, 1920 Ill. App. LEXIS 52 (Ill. Ct. App. 1920).

217 Ill. App. 248 (Hopkins v. Whelan) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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