Howland v. West

507 S.W.2d 345, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 587
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedApril 8, 1974
DocketNo. 57480
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 507 S.W.2d 345 (Howland v. West) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Howland v. West, 507 S.W.2d 345, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 587 (Mo. 1974).

Opinion

HIGGINS, Commissioner.

Appeal (taken prior to January 1, 1972) from judgment for defendants entered pursuant to jury' verdict for defendants in plaintiffs’ two-count action for $50,000 damages for personal injuries and $10,-000 damages for loss of consortium.

This action arose from a collision on U. S.Highway 71 in Newton County around 6:00 a. m., March 16, 1970. Plaintiff Albert G. Howland was driving a 1960 International pickup truck in a northerly direction; defendant West was driving a tractor-trailer unit belonging to defendant Fleming Foods of Missouri, Inc., in a southerly direction.

The only question is whether there was evidence to support Instruction 9 (MAI 32.01) given on behalf of defendants:

“Your verdict must be for the defendants whether or not Don Leroy West was negligent if you believe:
“First, Albert G. Howland either: failed to keep a careful lookout, or drove at an [346]*346excessive speed, or drove on the wrong side of the road; and
“Second, Albert G. Howland’s conduct, in any one or more of the respects submitted in paragraph First, was negligent; and
“Third, such negligence of Albert G. Howland directly caused or directly contributed to cause any damage plaintiffs may have sustained.”

In determining whether Instruction 9 was supported, the evidence is considered favorably to defendants with a disregard for plaintiffs’ version of the facts unless it tends to support the submission. Rickman v. Sauerwein, 470 S.W.2d 487, 489[1] (Mo.1971).

Plaintiff Albert G. Howland lived with his wife, plaintiff Viola Howland, about five and one-half miles northwest of Neo-sho, Missouri. Mr. Howland placed the collision scene at a point three and three-quarter miles north of his home, eight miles north of Neosho and ten miles south of Joplin where Highway 71 runs generally north and south. The collision occurred on a curve to the northeast, i. e., to plaintiff’s right.

Mr. Howland left his home shortly after six o’clock in the morning and drove north toward Joplin. It was snowing and snow covered the highway to depths of eight to twelve inches. When he came onto the highway he could not see the center line, shoulder, or the road itself. It was dark; his headlights and windshield wipers were in operation.

Mr. Howland saw defendants’ truck when it was 200 to 350 feet to the north. He saw nothing unusual about its approach. It was on its right-hand side of the road; it did not slip, slide, accelerate, or change direction. Mr. Howland noted the tracks of vehicles ahead of him but he paid no attention to them. He passed the cab of defendants’ rig and then noticed it coming closer to him. His side rear-view mirror came off from contact with the left side of defendants’ trailer, and his ultimate collision was his left front side and wheel with the trailer’s tandem wheels. Mr. Howland placed his vehicle at the time of impact as having the two right wheels on the shoulder, about six or eight feet from the center of the ditch to his right. After impact, his vehicle came to rest with its rear in the ditch and its front headed west. Mr. Howland stated that when about three quarters of a mile from the collision, “the road has a tendency to float one way or the other so I have always taken this right-hand shoulder at that point which is about 100 yards south of the point of impact. * * * I changed gears to second so I could hold my steady momentum up and without either accelerating or losing my speed and that is the way it happened.” His pickup was not equipped with snow tires or chains, and he drove at 30 to 35 miles per hour. He could not say that his wheels went down through the snow to the pavement but he could feel the vibration from rough spots on the shoulder.

Defendant Don Leroy West left Joplin about 5:30 a. m. The highway and shoulders were covered with snow. He was able to follow tracks of vehicles preceding him. He was on his side of the road at all times, judging his position by observing the ditch on his right-hand side of the road, and traveling about 25 miles per hour. At the collision scene he was negotiating the slight curve to his left. It was dark, he was using headlights, and he saw Mr. Howland’s pickup about 400 feet away. When the pickup came by the cab of his truck, it appeared it would pass although extremely close, and, instead, headed straight toward his trailer. Prior to the collision, Mr. West had not accelerated, skidded, or used his brakes. After impact, the unit started to jackknife and, by acceleration, Mr. West was able to straighten it.

Jerry Lasater, investigating highway patrolman, received notification of the accident at 6:25 a. m. He described the highway as having twenty-two feet of pavement, an east shoulder of ten feet, and a ditch on the east side with its center ten [347]*347feet from the east edge of the shoulder. The collision occurred where the road goes up hill to the north and curves to the northeast. As he drove to the scene he had to follow tracks of a preceding vehicle because it was snowing so hard-and there was so much snow on the highway that he could not see the centerline or the shoulder. The snow ultimately reached depths of 24 to 30 inches in the area. Visibility was very limited due to the snow. Trooper Lasater was unable to locate any debris on the highway or shoulder by which to determine a point of impact.

Ray Spiva was following defendants’ tractor-trailer at a distance of 300 to 400 feet. He did not know if he was on the road but followed the tracks of the other vehicle. He could not see the rig ahead at all times because it was snowing so hard. He did not see the pickup as he traveled down the highway to where Mr. West stopped because he was watching the road. He saw it only when he went back to where it came to rest after the collision.

Mrs. Howland was notified of the collision about 8:00 a. m., but could not get to the hospital in Joplin to see her injured husband due to the snow. It was two or three days before her road was opened so she could get to Joplin.

Citing Hecker v. Schwartz, 426 S.W.2d 22 (Mo.1968); Ryan v. Manheimer, 435 S.W.2d 366 (Mo.1968); Markle v. Fallek, 424 S.W.2d 756 (Mo.App.1968); Calvert v. Super Propane Corp., 400 S.W.2d 133 (Mo.1966), and Richman v. Sauerwein, supra, but without indicating how they apply, appellants argue that there is no showing that Mr. Howland’s speed caused or contributed to cause the accident, or that it happened because Mr. Howland failed to keep a careful lookout. They assert the cause was Mr. West’s inability “to control the trailer as the truck and trailer were going down the incline on the slight curve on a snow covered road.”

Within the purview of the authorities, this record, including the evidence, supported Instruction 9.

It is noted first that appellant’s argument does not go to the question of evidence that plaintiff drove on the wrong side of the road. Consequently, that issue would appear to be abandoned.

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507 S.W.2d 345, 1974 Mo. LEXIS 587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/howland-v-west-mo-1974.