Kokesh v. Price

161 N.W. 715, 136 Minn. 304, 23 A.L.R. 643, 1917 Minn. LEXIS 556
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedMarch 16, 1917
DocketNos. 20,160—(283)
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 161 N.W. 715 (Kokesh v. Price) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kokesh v. Price, 161 N.W. 715, 136 Minn. 304, 23 A.L.R. 643, 1917 Minn. LEXIS 556 (Mich. 1917).

Opinion

Hallam, J.

James J. Kokesh, his wife, his daughter 19 and his son 17, started in the family automobile one Sunday afternoon in July to a nearby lake for a fishing trip. Kokesh was driving. His wife sat beside him. The son and daughter were in the back seat. In another automobile were some friends. The Kokesh automobile was going north. While rounding a corner at a country cross road to go to the left, that is, to the west, it collided with an automobile driven by defendant. Mrs. Kokesh was injured so that she died six days later.

Kokesh, as administrator of his wife’s estate, sued defendant for damages under the death by wrongful act statute (G. S. 1913, § 8175). He also sued in his individual capacity for loss of services and society of his wife during the six days of her life after the injury. In the action by Kokesh, as administrator, the jury found for plaintiff. This amounts to a finding that defendant was negligent. They were instructed that Kokesh’s negligence was no defense. In the action by Kokesh as individual they found for defendant. In this action they were instructed that Kokesh’s negligence, if any, was a defense. Since the conduct of defendant was the same as applied to both cases, it follows that the jury must have found that Kokesh was negligent.

Both findings are sustained by the evidence. In fact the evidence would not sustain any other. Yiew of the approach of both cars toward the crossing was obstructed by trees and shrubbery. Both parties admittedly approached this crossing without sounding a horn, a precaution required by positive statute (G. S. 1913, § 2633), dhd the dictates of [306]*306common prudence as well. The evidence is ample that defendant approached the crossing at a high rate of speed. Evidence is also abundant that Kokesh cut the corner to the left of the center of the intersection instead of going to the right of the center as the law requires (G. S. 1913, § 2634). The position in which the two cars were found after the accident, taken in connection with admitted facts, leaves little doubt that both were negligent in the particulars charged.

The serious question in the case is whether, in view of the negligence of Kokesh, he as administrator can be permitted to recover a verdict for the benefit of himself and his children.

Decisions such as Wellner v. Eckstein, 105 Minn. 444, 117 N. W. 830, and Gollnik v. Mengel, 112 Minn. 349, 128 N. W. 292, which pass upon the right of one causing death to inherit from the deceased are not, we think, in point here. They involve construction of particular statutes, not pertinent here, and they involve rights in an estate .existing prior to the death of the person deceased. The death itself does not create the estate. It does here.

1. A brief reference to decisions under death by wrongful act statutes may be enlightening. In an action by a husband in his individual capacity to recover damages for injury to his wife, negligence on his part which directly contributes to the injury is a bar to his recovery. Bellefontaine Ry. Co. v. Snyder, 24 Oh. St. 670. The same rule bars his right of action for her death to which his negligence contributed, where by statute-the suit for wrongful death is brought by the beneficiary in his individual capacity. St. Louis, I. M. & S. Ry. Co. v. Dawson, 68 Ark. 1, 56 S. W. 46; Evansville & Crawfordsville R. Co. v. Wolf, 59 Ind. 89; Vinnette v. Northern Pac. Ry. Co. 47 Wash. 320, 91 Pac. 975, 18 L.R.A. (N.S.) 328.

2. Under statutes which provide for an action by an administrator, the amount recovered has, in some cases, been regarded as part of the general estate of the deceased, and on that ground contributory negligence of a beneficiary has been held not to bar recovery. Wymore v. Mahaska County, 78 Iowa, 386, 43 N. W. 264, 6 L.R.A. 545, 16 Am. St. 449; Warren v. Manchester St. Ry. 70 N. H. 352, 47 Atl. 735; Nashville Lumber Co. v. Busbee, 100 Ark. 76, 139 S. W. 301, 38 L.R.A.(N.S.) 754; [307]*307Gigoux v. Yamhill County, 73 Ore. 212, 144 Pac. 437; Feldman v. Detroit United Ry. 162 Mich. 486, 127 N. W. 687.

In jurisdictions where the action is brought as in Minnesota by an administrator, not for the benefit of the estate generally, but for the benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin, some decisions hold that the contributory negligence of a sole beneficiary is not a bar. McKay v. Syracuse Rapid Transit Co. 208 N. Y. 359, 101 N. E. 885; In re Brennan’s Account, 160 App. Div. 401, 145 N. Y. Supp. 440; Consolidated Traction Co. v. Hone, 59 N. J. Law, 275, 35 Atl. 899, affirmed by-tie vote 60 N. J. Law, 444, 38 Atl. 759; Wilmot v. McPadden, 78 Conn. 276, 61 Atl. 1069; Southern Ry. Co. v. Shipp, 169 Ala. 327, 53 South. 150; Watson v. Southern Ry. 66 S. C. 47, 44 S. E. 375. Others hold that it is a bar. 2 Illinois L. Rev. 487; Lee v. New River & P. C. Coal Co. 203 Fed. 644, 122 C. C. A. 40, 45 L.R.A. (N.S.) 940; Ohnesorge, Adm. v. Chicago City Ry. Co. 259 Ill. 424, 102 N. E. 819; Harton v. Telephone Co. 141 N. C. 455, 54 S. E. 299; Dickinson v. Stuart Colliery Co. 71 W. Va. 325, 76 S. E. 654, 43 L.R.A. (N.S.) 335; Richmond, F. & P. R. Co. v. Martin’s Adm’r, 102 Va. 201, 45 S. E. 894, overruling Norfolk & W. R. Co. v. Groseclose’s Adm’r. 88 Va. 267, 13 S. E. 454, 29 Am. St. 718; Tucker v. Draper, 62 Neb. 66, 86 N. W. 917, 54 L.R.A. 321; Feldman v. Detroit United Ry. 162 Mich. 486, 127 N. W. 687; Bamberger v. Citizens’ St. Ry. Co. 95 Tenn. 18, 31 S. W. 163, 28 L.R.A. 486, 49 Am. St. 909; Ploof v. Burlington Traction Co. 70 Vt. 509, 41 Atl. 1017, 43 L.R.A. 108; Scherer v. Schlaberg & Griffin, 18 N. D. 421, 122 N. W. 1000, 24 L.R.A. (N.S.) 520. This court has assumed that there could be no recovery in such a case. Mattson v. Minnesota & N. W. R. Co. 98 Minn. 296, 108 N. W. 517; Decker v. Itasca Paper Co. 111 Minn. 439, 127 N. W. 183. In each of these cases, however, the jury found there was no contributor}' negligence.

Where the negligence of one of several beneficiaries contributed to the death, it has sometimes been held that recovery should be denied to the extent that it would inure to the benefit of tire one guilty of contributory negligence. Phillips v. Denver City Tramway Co. 53 Colo. 458, 128 Pac. 460, Ann. Cas. 1914B, 29; Wolf v. Lake Erie & W. R. Co. 55 Oh. St. 530, 45 N. E. 708, 36 L.R.A. 812; Davis v. Railroad Co. 136 N. C. 115, 48 S. E. 591, 1 Ann. Cas. 214; Chicago City Ry. Co. v. McKeon, 143 Ill. [308]*308App. 598; see Atlanta & C. A. L. Ry. Co. v. Gravitt, 93 Ga. 369, 20 S. E. 550, 26 L.R.A. 553, 44 Am. St. 145. No trouble has been found in making a proper apportionment in such cases.

3. In this ease there were three beneficiaries, the husband and two children. The husband alone was negligent. The question presented by this record is whether the contributory negligence of the husband barred all recovery by himself as administrator. Partial reduction, to the extent of the share he may receive as beneficiary, was not asked for in the trial court or in this court. Defendant has seen fit to stand or fall on the contention that his negligence is a complete bar. We do not sustain this contention. We see no principle of law on which it can be said that the negligence of one beneficiary can prejudice other beneficiaries. There is no partnership or community of interest between them,' one is in no sense the agent or representative of the others.' His negligence should not be imputed to them and it should detract nothing from them.

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Bluebook (online)
161 N.W. 715, 136 Minn. 304, 23 A.L.R. 643, 1917 Minn. LEXIS 556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kokesh-v-price-minn-1917.