Littlewood v. Detroit United Railway

155 N.W. 698, 189 Mich. 388, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 796
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 21, 1915
DocketDocket No. 43
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 155 N.W. 698 (Littlewood v. Detroit United Railway) 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
Littlewood v. Detroit United Railway, 155 N.W. 698, 189 Mich. 388, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 796 (Mich. 1915).

Opinion

Stone, J.

This is an action to recover damages for injuries sustained by plaintiffs decedent, resulting in his death two days after the injuries complained of, and in the destruction of his automobile, occasioned by a collision of an interurban car belonging to the defendant with the automobile owned and being driven by plaintiff’s decedent on August 31, 1913, on Connors Creek road, at its intersection with Gratiot road, in Wayne county. Plaintiff’s decedent and husband was 50 years of age. On the day of the accident he had been engaged in carrying passengers, for hire, in his automobile, which had been his business for some time. He was familiar with the crossing and location. About 4 o’clock in the afternoon of said day plaintiff’s decedent was driving alone in his automobile northerly [390]*390on Connors Creek road toward its intersection with Gratiot road. The attached blueprint is taken from the record, and will aid in understanding the locus in quo, and its surroundings. Connors Creek road runs in a northwesterly direction, although the witnesses speak of it as running north. It is 50 feet wide. Gratiot road runs northeasterly, and, is 55 feet wide. The house spoken of as the “Trombley house” is a two-story frame dwelling situated on the northeast corner of these roads. It is 9.7 feet from the front of this house to the easterly lot line of Gratiot road, and 12.9 feet from said lot line to the first rail of the interurban track upon Gratiot road, making 22.6 feet from the front of the house to the easterly rail of the car track. The switch is northerly of the intersection. It is 101.4 feet from the southerly point of the switch — that is, the point nearest to Detroit — to Connors Creek road, and 597.6 feet from the northerly point of the switch, that is, the point nearest Mt. Clemens, to said Connors Creek road. Vanderbeck’s saloon was situated on the southwest corner of the roads, with steps fronting on Gratiot road.

The declaration, after stating the duty of the defendant, alleges that its servants, agents, and employees did not exercise reasonable care, caution, and diligence, in that they did not ring a bell or sound a gong, or give any notice or warning of the approach of said car, and did not approach with care and caution, and did not have said car under control, and did not stop said car when plaintiff’s intestate with said automobile was being driven, or about to be driven, upon said track; that the crossing was of a dangerous character, and that the defendant did not when approaching said Connors Creek road keep any lookout or keep said car under control so that it could be immediately stopped and controlled; that there were obstructions in the nature of buildings adjacent to said intersection, [391]*391and that defendant did not provide any safe, adequate, and effective signal to warn the public and plaintiff’s intestate of the approach of said car, failed to employ and station a watchman, or to install gates at said dangerous crossing, or to take any other safe, adequate, and effective means to protect the public and plaintiff’s intestate from danger and injury arising from the operating and running of its said cars on Gratiot avenue. The declaration proceeds in the following language; and plaintiff avers that on the day and year aforesaid the defendant, its

“agents, servants, and employees, wholly disregarding their duty in the premises, and while plaintiff’s intestate was lawfully operating and driving his automobile as aforesaid, and without any notice or warning, and without ringing a bell or sounding a gong, and in total and utter disregard of the rights of plaintiff’s intestate, and without his knowledge, carelessly, negligently, wilfully, and recklessly propelled said car towards plaintiff’s said intestate on said Gratiot avenue at a rate of speed, to wit, 50 miles per hour, causing said car to run into and collide with said automobile and plaintiff’s said intestate, whereby said intestate was then and there violently hurled and thrown with great force and violence out of said automobile and upon the ground adjacent to said car track,”

alleging that he received injuries from which he died two days thereafter.

The witnesses to the collision who testified were either sitting upon the steps in front of Vanderbeck’s saloon or near by.

At the close of plaintiff’s case defendant’s counsel moved the court for a directed verdict in its favor on the grounds that the plaintiff’s decedent was guilty of contributory negligence, and that the defendant had not been shown guilty of any negligence. The court .refused to grant this motion, to which ruling defendant duly excepted, and the case was thereupon, without any evidence upon the part of the defendant, sub[392]*392mitted to the jury upon the questions whether plaintiff’s decedent approached the crossing with the care which a reasonably prudent man would have used under the circumstances, and whether defendant was guilty of negligence.

It was the contention of the defendant, in the court below and in this court, that the record shows, as matter of law, that plaintiff’s decedent did not use that care in approaching this crossing in his automobile which the law requires; and it is upon the alleged error of the court in refusing to direct a verdict upon the grounds aforesaid, as requested by defendant’s counsel, that the case is before this court. The trial resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff for $3,635 damages.

The eyewitnesses who testified were foreigners— Belgians — and it is evident, from a perusal of the record, that they did not readily understand the English language, and there is considerable confusion in their testimony.

Upon the question of contributory negligence, it is the claim of defendant, gathered from the testimony of plaintiff’s witnesses, from thé blueprint, and certain photographs that were offered in evidence, that it is undisputed that, when the plaintiff’s decedent made his first stop, he was not out from behind the Trombley house; that he drove up toward the track without stopping after he got out from behind the Trombley house until he was within 7 or 8 inches of the track, and within the danger zone; also, it is urged that it appears from the record that decedent not only failed to look for a car after getting out from behind Trombley’s house, where he could have seen one, but proceeded either upon or so close to the track that he was hit by the car, which was within 100 feet or less of him when he neared the track, and whose approach then, by a mere glance to the right, he would have detected had he been in the exercise of ordinary care.

[393]*393The question of the contributory negligence of plaintiff’s decedent was first discussed by counsel. In order-for the defendant to prevail upon this point, it must appear, taking the most favorable view of the testimony of plaintiff’s witnesses, that there was no evidence of the exercise on the part of plaintiff’s decedent of the care which a reasonably prudent person would be expected to use under the circumstances.

Ella Blumdele, one of the principal witnesses for the plaintiff, testified that at the time of the collision she was sitting on the front steps of Vanderbeck’s saloon with Mrs. Vanderbeek and another witness, who had ■died before the trial. She testified that she saw the plaintiff’s decedent approaching the intersection of the roads, riding in his automobile, coming in a northwesterly direction; that he was running pretty slow. In her direct examination the following occurs:

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Related

Ommen v. Grand Trunk Western Railway Co.
169 N.W. 914 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
155 N.W. 698, 189 Mich. 388, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 796, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/littlewood-v-detroit-united-railway-mich-1915.