Johnson v. Mack

248 N.W. 534, 263 Mich. 10, 1933 Mich. LEXIS 1088
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMay 16, 1933
DocketDocket No. 111, Calendar No. 36,811.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 248 N.W. 534 (Johnson v. Mack) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Mack, 248 N.W. 534, 263 Mich. 10, 1933 Mich. LEXIS 1088 (Mich. 1933).

Opinions

Butzel, J.

At about 6:30 a. m. on February 22, 1930, Gilbert L. Johnson, plaintiff, together with defendant Russell Mack and two other fellow employees, were riding in a Ford car owned and driven by Mack to the Ford Motor Company’s factory at Flat Rock, Michigan, their place of employment. It was quite dark and foggy, especially along the highway outside of the city. A collision occurred between Mack’s car and a heavy truck of the Nor-cross Marble Company, also a defendant and appellant herein. The truck, weighing about four tons and carrying a load of eight tons of marble, was stalled on the road when the Ford car ran into it. Plaintiff was severely injured and brought suit both against Mack and the Norcross Marble Company, claiming each guilty of negligence.

It is claimed that Mack drove in a reckless manner, and that the truck exhibited no proper warning-lights. The record satisfies us that there was ab *12 solutely no collusion whatsoever between plaintiff: and Mack in bringing the suit, notwithstanding the fact that, during the trial, plaintiff elected to discontinue his action against Mack and proceed solely against the Marble Company. The jury rendered a verdict of $6,771.67, which the judge subsequently reduced to $4,000. In discussing the case, we shall assume that the trial judge was correct in finding that Mack was guilty of negligence, and it consequently becomes unnecessary to review the details of the accident. We limit our discussion to. two questions: May Mack’s negligence be imputed to plaintiff and thus release the Marble Company? Was there error, as claimed by plaintiff, as cross-appellant, in reducing the amount of the verdict?

It is claimed that, under the facts in the case, plaintiff was either Mack’s agent, or else that he, Mack, and the other two passengers in the car were co-adventurers engaged in a joint enterprise. Mack and plaintiff both lived in Monroe, Michigan. Plaintiff learned that Mack drove his Ford car to and from his work at the Ford Motor Company plant daily, accompanied by two of his fellow workers. The record is not clear as to whether payments made by them to Mack, originally towards gas and oil expenses, became fixed charges or not. Plaintiff, on meeting Mack’s father, told him of his desire to ride also with Mack and his two other passengers to and from the Ford factory. In testifying as an adverse witness under the statute, Mack, on re-direct and re-cross examination, in his defense, testified the arrangement was as follows:

Re-direct Examination.

By Mr. Davidow:

“The first thing I knew about Johnson was when my father gave me some information. From it I did *13 not know where Johnson lived. I did not go to see Johnson at his home. I did testify on direct examination that I saw him, but I talked with him over the phone. He gave dad his phone number. I called him up. I had to go to work every day. I used my car for that purpose, and had had it about a month and a half. I have a definite expense of running my car to work and back.
“Q. Whatever you got from these men was so much velvet for you, wasn’t it!
“A. For gas and oil.
“Q. You were so much ahead on profit when these men paid you!
“A. Yes.
“Q. The fact that these men were in the car was no great expense to you, was it!
“A. No.
“Q. Whatever these men gave you was money for yourself, wasn’t it!
“A. Yes.
“Q. When you called up Johnson it was your purpose and idea that here was another man that might give you extra money for hauling him back and forth, that was your idea, wasn’t it!
“A. It helped out.
“Q. That was why you called upon him at his home after the conversation over the phone, that is right, isn’t it!
“A. Yes.
“Q. The Saturday of the first week that you had been taking Johnson back and forth you had a conversation about what it would cost Johnson when you took him to .his home, that is right, isn’t it!
“A. He made the arrangements.
“Q. Whoever made the first suggestion, there was such a talk the first Saturday of the first week that you were taking him back and forth, wasn’t there !
“A. Yes.
*14 “<9. And Johnson, after some discussion back and forth with you, agreed to pay you 15 cents each way, did he not?
.“A. Yes.
“Q. That was 30 cents a day or $1.80 a week, if you went for six days, is that right?
“A. Yes.
‘ ‘ <9. Then the following Monday he actually paid you $1.80?
“A. Yes.
“Q. It was on that basis that you were carrying him the second week?
“A. Yes.”

Re-cross Examination.

By Mr. Gordon:

“Q. Did you do all the driving?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Tell us how you arrived at 30 cents a day, or $1.80 a week, with Johnson?
“A. When he asked me how much I charged, I said that I didn’t charge anything, and he said, ‘What do the other boys pay? What do you charge the other boys?’ and I said, ‘I don’t charge those, neither; they give me something for gas and other expenses.’ He said, ‘I wouldn’t be satisfied; I’ll have to give you something,’ and I said, ‘Whatever you think it is worth.’
“Q. Was it worth that, the fare you charged of gas and oil and car costs?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Was there any profit in it?
“A. No.
“Q. Did you have any ambition to make a profit ?
“A. No.”

If plaintiff was a guest of Mack, any contributory negligence of which the latter was guilty would be imputable to plaintiff and he could not recover. Colborne v. Railway, 177 Mich. 139; Jewell v. Rogers Township, 208 Mich. 318; Geeck v.

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Bluebook (online)
248 N.W. 534, 263 Mich. 10, 1933 Mich. LEXIS 1088, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-mack-mich-1933.