John F. Buckner & Sons v. Allen

289 S.W.2d 387, 1956 Tex. App. LEXIS 2554
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 22, 1956
Docket10344
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 289 S.W.2d 387 (John F. Buckner & Sons v. Allen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
John F. Buckner & Sons v. Allen, 289 S.W.2d 387, 1956 Tex. App. LEXIS 2554 (Tex. Ct. App. 1956).

Opinions

GRAY, Justice.

Appellee, Mrs. Ruth Allen, recovered a judgment against appellants, John F. Buckner & Sons, for damages for personal injuries and for property damage sustained by her as the result of an automobile and truck collision. The collision occurred on a section of highway under construction in Tom Green County. Appellants were the contractors with the State and Hunter Strain and L & S Contractors were subcontractors. At the close of the evidence appellee took a nonsuit against the subcontractors.

On a former appeal this Court affirmed an order overruling appellants’ plea of privilege. 272 S.W.2d 929, er. dism.

During the afternoon of September 2, 1953, appellee was returning from San Angelo to her home in Sterling City and was riding in her own car which was driven by Mrs. Jess Martin. A portion of the highway between the two towns and between San Angelo and Carlsbad in Tom Green County was under construction. After leaving San Angelo appellee and her driver proceeded along the highway until they reached a detour. The parties traveled this detour until they reached a barricade across the detour and then turned left up a prepared incline on to the main construction. The surface of this construction was slick by reason of a recent application of hot oil followed by rain. As the car reached the surface it skidded and continued to slide or spin until it collided with a truck approaching from the opposite direction. Appellee was injured and was removed by ambulance to a hospital in Sterling City where she remained 65 days. Also her automobile was severely -damaged.

The judgment against appellánts was rendered on a jury’s verdict.

We will here disregard conflicts in the evidence and consider that which supports the jury’s answers.

Both Mrs. Martin and appellee were experienced drivers and as they traveled along the detour the car was well under control. The day before they had traveled this road coming to San Angelo and the barricade was not there. -As they reached the barricade the speed of the car was slowed and was driven up the incline at about 10 or 12 miles per hour. As they got on the surface of the construction the car skidded and went into a spin and, although she tried, Mrs. Martin was unable to control the car but it continued to skid or spin until it collided with the truck. Oil had-been applied to the surface of the con-' struction by Hunter Strain on the ■ afternoon the accident occurred, it had rained on it and at the time it was raining. As appellee and her driver approached the barricade they saw the truck and could see the surface of the construction but could not determine that oil was on it. There was no warning at the barricade warning that the road was slick or that oil had been applied and at the time the parties did not see a flagman at the barricade or elsewhere. There is evidence that one was sitting in a pickup truck beyond the barricade but Mrs. Martin or appellee did not see him.

Appellee remained in the hospital from September 2, 1953 to November 5, 1953. She was confined to bed áll of that time except the last 3 or 4 days when she was up and on crutches. She walked with crutches until March, 1954, and used them some until April. From examinations and x-rays it was determined that she sustained three fractures of her pelvis, poss.ibly some -broken ribs and other-injuries which she.described as follows:

“I was knocked out, and I just don’t remember much about it until the pain ■ [392]*392began to come, and it was all in my side, and they had to strap me up and strap my hips, and they bound my foot and my head, had a knot larger than a hen egg, whole face was black, limbs black clear to my foot; this arm had a knot on it; my lower lip was torn loose here; my face was blackened.”

During her stay in the hospital appellee suffered intense pain, had a special nurse, was attended'by doctors, was given treatments and medicines and had x-rays. Because of appellee’s long confinement to bed her bladder 'became irritated and she was treated for this and kidney infection.

At the time of the trial appellee’s fractures had not .entirely healed and she will incur future medical expense. Also her kidney trouble had, not completely cleared and after her release from the hospital she was hospitalized for treatment of her bladder and kidney due to the accident.

Prior to the' accident the market value of appellee’s automobile was $1700 and afterwards it was $300. It sold for $50.

All hospital, doctors’, nurses’, x-ray and medical charges were necessary and reasonable.

At the time of the accident appellee was 76 years of age and though she had some disabilities she looked after and managed her two ranches,' drove her car, did her-own housework and was generally active. Since leaving the hospital she is not able to drive her car, can do very little of her housework, has a maid that lives with her and has to leave the management of her ranches to others. Prior to the accident appellee had suffered an injury to her back when she fell from a pickup truck, had kidney trouble and had diabetes.

Prior to the trial appellee submitted herself to examination by a doctor representing defendants. However this doctor . did. not testify and the result of his examination was not before the jury.

Appellee alleged that the collision occurred on á section of highway under construction ; that appellants were the. general contractors under a contract with the State which provided:

“ * * * that the safety of the public is of prime-importance and the direct responsibility of the Contractor; that the Contractor shall maintain the surfacing of highway under construction and open to the traveling public in such condition that the public can travel over the same in safety; that Con-' tractor furnish and maintain barricades, danger, warning signs qnd other, incidentals necessary for the safety of the traffic; that the Contractor maintain the roadway in good passable condition ; that the Contractor provide and maintain flagmen at the points required to provide for the safety of public travel.”

Appellee further alleged that:

“a. Each Defendant failed to maintain the surfacing of the road where Plaintiff’s car was wrecked in such condition that the public could travel over the same in safety.
“b. Each Defendant failed to maintain the roadway where Plaintiff’s car was wrecked in good and passable condition.
“c. Each Defendant failed to bar the slick area of the highway and provide a detour around the same for travelers.
“d. Each Defendant failed to place visible warning signs at or near the slick area to warn of its existence.
“e. Each Defendant failed to warn the Plaintiff or the driver of her car that the highway was in a slick condition.
"f. Each Defendant failed to keep a plainly visible flagman at or near the slick area to warn Plaintiff’s driver of its existence.”

She alleged that each of the above acts .or omissions was negligence and a proximate cause of her injuries and damage.

[393]

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Bluebook (online)
289 S.W.2d 387, 1956 Tex. App. LEXIS 2554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-f-buckner-sons-v-allen-texapp-1956.