In Re State of Goretska

13 N.W.2d 432, 234 Iowa 1080, 1944 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 413
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMarch 7, 1944
DocketNo. 46322.
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 13 N.W.2d 432 (In Re State of Goretska) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re State of Goretska, 13 N.W.2d 432, 234 Iowa 1080, 1944 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 413 (iowa 1944).

Opinions

*1081 Mantz, J.

I. About midnight, May 31, 1942, two automobiles traveling in opposite directions collided on a highway running east and west from Hubbard to Radcliffe in Hardin county of this state. Each automobile had two occupants and all lost their lives as a result of the collision. The highway at that point was practically level for some distance. It had a blacktop surface, was twenty-four feet wide and was in good condition, with a firm, dry surface. One of the automobiles was operated by Lester Sorenson, and Irvin Sorenson, a brother, was a passenger. The other was then being operated by Godfrey Goretska, with his wife a passenger. The two vehicles collided “head on” with such force that the front end of each was crushed and demolished and it required considerable force to pull them apart. The Sorenson ear was a Ford coach; the Goretska car was a Plymouth. Both were in good condition before the collision.

Chris Sorenson, father of Irvin Sorenson, was appointed administrator of his estate, and filed a claim for damages against F. J. Counsell, administrator of the Godfrey Goretska estate. Said claim set forth the matters and things on which the same was based, recited the death of Irvin Sorenson in the collision, his freedom from contributory negligence, the negligence of Godfrey Goretska, the result thereof, and the damage to the Irvin Sorenson estate. In substance, the plaintiff claimed that Godfrey Goretska was negligent in that he failed to turn to the right and failed to yield the north half of the traveled portion of said highway to the car in which Irvin Sorenson, the deceased, Avas riding. To this claim the administrator of the Godfrey Goretska estate filed a resistance or answer Avhich in effect was a general denial.

The case was tried and the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant. Plaintiff moved the court to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial, setting forth twelve grounds in such motion. This motion was sustained generally by the court; the defendant excepted and appealed.

II. The case presents several unusual features. Two cars, each with íavo occupants, collided. All of the occupants AA'ere killed. In the suit brought on behalf of the passenger, Irvin Sorenson, but one ground of negligence was claimed, to wit, the *1082 failure of the driver of the Goretska automobile to yield one half of the right of way. There were no eyewitnesses to the collision. The record fails to show objection to any question, answer, exhibit offered, argument of counsel or instruction given.

When the plaintiff rested and also at the conclusion of all of the testimony defendant moved the court to direct a verdict in his favor. The court overruled these motions and an exception was taken. The cause was then submitted to the jury and its verdict in favor of the defendant'was later set aside, provoking this appeal.

In his printed brief and argument, appellant has set forth and argued thirteen separate propositions or assignments of error. It is his claim therein that in each the court erred and that by reason of such errors the ruling of the court in granting a new trial should be reversed.

The first proposition set forth by appellant is that the court in the first instance erred in failing to direct a verdict for the appellant when the appellee had rested its main case and also when both sides had rested.

The twelve other propositions of appellant are directed to the various grounds of appellee ?s motion to set aside the verdict of the jury and grant a new trial. Each of said respective propositions has been specifically set forth and argued.

We do not deem it necessary to take up and discuss these various propositions separately. We will first confine ourselves to a discussion of the first proposition which appellant makes, to wit, that the court erred in not directing a verdict in favor of the appellant. Upon this first proposition of appellant we think that under the record the court did not err in submitting the case to the jury. In fact, in view of the conflict in the evidence we think it would have been error for the court to rule otherwise. See In re Estate of Younggren, 225 Iowa 348, 280 N. W. 556; Brunssen v. Parker, 227 Iowa 1364, 291 N. W. 535, and cases there cited. There was but one ground of negligence alleged by appellee and that was the failure of the driver of the Goretska ear to yield to the ear in which the appellee’s decedent was riding one half of^ the right of way or traveled track, as provided by law. There was a rather sharp conflict in the evidence as to the exact point at which the collision took place. The *1083 sui’faee of this highway was twenty-four feet wide, was of black top and there was no marked center line. There being no eyewitnesses, about all that could be shown were the physical facts appearing after the collision. Various witnesses described the position of the two cars following that time and also certain tracks and skid marks upon the pavement.

Under our holdings the failure to yield the right of way is not negligence per se but is simply prima facie evidence thereof. This, when considered in the light of the physical facts appearing in the record, made that issue a jury question. There was some evidence that the ear in which Irvin Sorenson was riding was proceeding westward with none of the wheels south of the center of the highway. Other evidence contradicted this. Of course, it is a familiar rule that in passing upon a motion for a directed verdict the court must give favorable consideration to all of the evidence as against the party against whom the motion is directed. In passing upon the motion for a directed verdict we must not lose sight of the status of the deceased Irvin Soren-son. He was a passenger in the car, neither owning, operating, nor having control over the car in which he was riding. The negligence of his driver, if any, or the concurring negligence of the drivers of both of the cars, if any, would not be imputed to him unless he participated therein. Also, his administrator would be entitled to the benefit of the “no eyewitness” rule, under the record in the case. Of course, if the court, under the record, should have directed a verdict as moved for by appellant, the failure of the court to do so would have been error and the defendant (appellant) would have been entitled to keep his verdict regardless of what followed in the trial of the case.

III. The real and decisive question in this appeal goes to the action of the court in setting aside the verdict of the jury and granting to the appellee a new trial. In fact, most of the argument on both sides is devoted to this question. Both parties recognize the fact that under our holdings a large discretion is vested in the trial court in this matter. Appellant argues that in this ease there was an abuse of discretion by the lower court, while appellee argues that the court acted within its power and rights. Both sides cite numerous cases which they claim sustain the position taken by them on that question. In so doing they *1084 have set out mueli of the evidence, some in considerable detail. Much of the detailed evidence has application to the first proposition argued by appellant, to wit, the failure of the court to direct a verdict in liis favor.

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Bluebook (online)
13 N.W.2d 432, 234 Iowa 1080, 1944 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-state-of-goretska-iowa-1944.