Lindsay v. Hartog

412 P.2d 552, 76 N.M. 122
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 28, 1966
Docket7710
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 412 P.2d 552 (Lindsay v. Hartog) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lindsay v. Hartog, 412 P.2d 552, 76 N.M. 122 (N.M. 1966).

Opinion

MOISE, Justice.

This is an appeal by the plaintiff from a judgment in favor of the defendants Har-tog and Lohman d/b/a Peacock Lounge. Judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff and against defendant Romero for $15,000.-00. He has not appealed. Plaintiff’s action against defendant Gallegos, as well as a cross-claim and counterclaim of defendants Romero and Gallegos were dismissed and no error is claimed concerning these actions by the court.

We set forth in full the court’s findings:

“1. That on the night of April 9, 1961 the plaintiff was a guest in the Peacock Lounge, an establishment owned and operated by M. D. Lohman and Dick Har-tog. That the plaintiff was standing in the Peacock Lounge when the defendants Lohman and Hartog were approached by one of the waitresses and this waitress discussed with one of the owners the question of the ID card of either the defendant Romero or the defendant Gallegos.
2. That either the defendant Lohman or the defendant Hartog asked the plaintiff to come along, or words to that effect, and they walked over to the table where Gallegos and Romero were sitting.
3. That when the plaintiff and the defendants Hartog and Lohman approached the table occupied by the defendants Romero and Gallegos the defendants Romero and Gallegos acted in a belligerent and antagonistic manner, and that the defendants Romero and Gallegos were told to leave, whereupon the defendant Romero jumped up and stated that they would not leave and the plaintiff grabbed the defendant Romero around the upper part of his body and proceeded to force him outside. That the defendant Gallegos was also escorted outside by the defendants Lohman and Hartog.
4. That when plaintiff forced defendant Romero outside of the establishment some 70 to 80 feet, the plaintiff pinned the defendant Romero to a post by wrapping his arms around Romero and the post. That while plaintiff was forcing defendant Romero outside, said defendant was trying to get away and had an unidentifiable object in his hand, which fact was known to the plaintiff.
5. That plaintiff, after some time had elapsed, released defendant Romero, whereupon the defendant Romero struck plaintiff in the eye with a sharp object.
6. That the plaintiff knew or should have known that the action he took would further irritate and provoke an already belligerent and antagonistic person.
7. That he was not requested by the defendants Hartog and Lohman to grab the defendant Romero, hut that said action was taken on his own volition.
8. That the plaintiff knew or should have known that the situation he found when they approached the table occupied by the defendants Romero and Gallegos could result in physical violence.
9. That the plaintiff was under no obligation to become a participant in the removal of the defendants Romero and Gallegos from the premises of the Peacock Lounge.
10. That the action of the defendant Romero in striking plaintiff in the eye with a sharp obj ect was a wilful, wanton and deliberate act, for which Romero must respond to plaintiff in damages.
11. That there was no negligence of any kind on the part of the defendants Hartog and Lohman.
12. That the evidence showed that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence, which negligence would bar him from recovering against the defendants Hartog and Lohman, but not against the defendant Romero.
13. That as a proximate result of defendant Romero’s wilful, wanton and deliberate act, plaintiff suffered the loss of his left eye, and suffered pain, loss of time, physical impairment and disability, all to his damage in the sum of $15,000.00.
14.That no facts were produced in evidence showing liability on the part of the defendant Rodney Gallegos.”

Based on these findings, the court concluded :

if * *
2. That the plaintiff voluntarily assumed the risk as to the defendants Har-tog and Lohman and may not recover against said defendants in this cause.
3. That the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as to the defendants Lohman and Hartog, which contributory negligence proximately contributed to the incident and injuries received by said plaintiff, and he may not recover against the defendants Lohman and Har-tog.
4. That the plaintiff was a volunteer' in becoming involved in the removal of Romero and Gallegos and may not recover as against the defendants Lohman and' Hartog.
* * * * * *
7. That the defendants Hartog and'. Lohman are not guilty of negligence.
ijí % tí

By his appeal plaintiff complains that the court erred in determining, (1) that defendants Hartog and Lohman were not negligent; (2) that plaintiff was contribu-torily negligent; (3) that plaintiff had assumed the risk; and (4) that plaintiff was a volunteer.

Plaintiff’s first point is that the court’s finding of fact No. 11 that Hartog and Lohman were not negligent is not supported by substantial evidence and that conclusion of law No. 7 to the same effect is in error.

Plaintiff recognizes the rule that findings of fact supported by substantial evidence, will not be set aside on appeal. Sauter v. St. Michael’s College, 70 N.M. 380, 374 P.2d 134. However, he would bring himself within the converse of the rule that where a material finding is not supported by substantial evidence, a judgment based thereon will be set aside. Mosely v. National Bankers Life Insurance Company, 66 N.M. 330, 347 P.2d 755.

In his brief in chief, plaintiff asserts that defendants were negligent in two particulars, to-wit:

“In asking the plaintiff to assist in the removal of the defendants Gallegos and Romero from the premises, well knowing that Gallegos was a troublemaker who had fought in their bar on previous occasions, without first warning Lindsay of the danger; and in asking him to assist in the ejection of the defendants Romero and Gallegos in the first instance, since there was a bouncer on the premises hired for that specific purpose.”

We have examined the evidence called to our attention by plaintiff in his brief, and are satisfied that the facts as found by the court are well supported by the proof. Possibly, the plaintiff’s version of the transaction could find support also. This, however, is no proper basis for overruling the findings as made. Coseboom v. Marshall Trust, 67 N.M.

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Bluebook (online)
412 P.2d 552, 76 N.M. 122, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lindsay-v-hartog-nm-1966.