Lotspeich v. Shreveport Rys. Co.

193 So. 600
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 3, 1939
DocketNo. 6019.
StatusPublished

This text of 193 So. 600 (Lotspeich v. Shreveport Rys. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lotspeich v. Shreveport Rys. Co., 193 So. 600 (La. Ct. App. 1939).

Opinion

DREW, Judge.

The lower court, in a well written opinion, has set out the issues, found the facts; and applied the law correctly! The opinion, is as follows:

“This suit results' from an intersectional accident at Texas and McNeil Streets in the City of Shreveport.

“Texas Street runs approximately east, and west and is 75 feet in width. McNeil Street runs approximately north and south, and is 50 feet in width. The accident occurred shortly before seven o’clock on the morning of June 8, 1938, which was prior to the time when the traffic lights were placed in operation.

“Mr. Lotspeich was traveling south on. McNeil Street in a Chevrolet coach and the defendant’s trackless trolley was going west-toward Red River on Texas Street. The trolley was approaching from the right of the Chevrolet.

“As is usual in such cases, the witnesses are in hopeless conflict as to the speed of' the Cars, the location of the accident and the fact of which one entered the intersection first.

“The speed of the Chevrolet, operated by the plaintiff in this case, was placed at approximately eight to twelve miles per hour-by plaintiff’s witnesses, and about forty miles per hour by the. defense witnesses. The speed of the trolley varied from ten or twelve miles per hour to twenty-five miles, per hour, according to whether the witness was testifying for the plaintiff or the defendant

“The witnesses for plaintiff place the lo- • cation of the accident in the southwest corner of the intersection, where as the witnesses for the defendant place the accident in about the center of the street.

“The theory of the plaintiff in this case is that he approached the- intersection very slowly because of a depression at the curb • line, shifted his car to second gear and proceeded to cross the street; that at the intersection he observed the trolley at a distance of approximately 100 feet or more from the intersection, and that he started across, feeling that he had the right of way .and was safe in going into the intersection, at that time.

' “The defendant contends that since the • trolley was approaching from the right and since they entered the intersection at approximately the same time, that he had the- *601 Tight of way under the law, and was entitled to proceed across McNeil Street; that the ■accident was due to the negligence and speed at which the plaintiff was operating "his car.

“There are two physical facts which stand ■out in this case, and which, we think, are decisive of the question as to who entered the intersection first.

“At the north curb line of Texas Street there was a depression or dip, which made it impossible to drive a car at any speed in entering Texas Street at this point. Every witness who testified in the case on this ■question said that he would not have proceeded across the street at a speed in excess of ten or twelve miles per hour, because of the condition of the street. The city employee, who repaired this condition, testified that it was done in order to speed up traffic. The other fact that we think is important in this matter is that the plaintiff’s car was locked in second gear after the accident.

“The trolley, in this case, was proceeding from the head of Texas Street, and, according to the testimony of the operator, did not make a stop at Louisiana, and neither ■did he have a signal for any stop at McNeil .Street.

“Texas Street slopes gradually from the "head of the street to approximately one "block beyond where this accident occurred. The testimony also shows that this trolley was heavily loaded, and passengers were standing in the aisles.

“We quote here from the testimony of the operator of the trolley, on cross-examination:

“ ‘Q. You had a through run from the ■church right on through — all right, where was Mr. Lotspeich’s car when you first saw it? A. Crossing the intersection coming into Texas.

‘Q. You saw it just as it emerged into Texas Street? A. Yes.

“‘Q. You did not see it before? A. No, sir.

“ ‘Q. In other words, it was over the line where passengers cross on McNeil Street and head into Texas Street? A. They were crossing that point at that time.

“ ‘Q. Where were you at that time— where was your car at that time? A. I was approaching McNeil about twenty feet to fifteen feet.’

We think the accident occurred slightly in the southwest corner of the intersection. The trolley was being operated on-the tracks that ordinarily are used by regular street cars, and these tracks were slightly to the right center of the street going east. Assuming that the plaintiff was not on the wrong side of the street, and there is no evidence to show that he was, we think that the accident undoubtedly occurred somewhere off the center of the intersection.

“The fact that Texas Street is wider than McNeil Street, and that plaintiff undoubtedly had his car in second gear and was proceeding at a slow rate of speed, convinces us that he preempted the intersection and had the right of way over the trolley in this case. Franz v. Shushan, 14 La.App. 465, 131 So. 591; Calamia v. National Hosiery Mills et al., La.App., 164 So. 146; Bagert v. Maestri et ah, 18 La.App. 94, 131 So. 863; General*Exchange Ins. Corp’n. v. Carp, La.App., 176 So. 145; Bal-samo v. Hall, 170 So. 402, 405.

“In the case of Hamilton v. Lee, La.App., 144 So. 249, 253, the court quoted, with approval, the following statement and citation from Berry on Automobiles: ‘ “If the driver who has not the right-of-way, looked when considerable distance from the crossing and was justified in the belief that he had ample time to cross in front of a machine having the right-of-way, he was not negligent, as a matter of law, in not making subsequent observations.” Citing Werner v. Yellow Cab Co., 177 Wis. 592, 188 N.W. 77.’

“In the case of Wilson v. New Amsterdam Casualty Company, La.App., 180 So. 870, 872, the court in considering a similar situation, said: ‘Assuming, that the truck was traveling twice as fast as the automobile, which assumption, we think, is justified from the testimony in the case relative to the speed of the two cars, it is readily seen that, at the time the plaintiff entered the intersection, 36 feet away from the point of collision, the truck was between 65 and 70 feet north on Plank road. At that distance from him, we think that the plaintiff was justified in assuming, as he said he did, that he had ample time in which to clear the intersection, and that the defendant driver of the truck would yield him his right of preemption.’

“We consider that these cases are controlling of the case now presented to the court. The evidence satisfied us that at the time the plaintiff entered this intersection, the de *602 fendant’s trolley was at least 75 to 100 feet from the intersection, and that, therefore, the plaintiff had the right of way.,

“The question of quantum of damages is always very difficult in such a case as this. Unquestionably, the plaintiff is entitled to $100.00 for damages to his car, $39.-00 for nurses’ bills and $42.00 for doctor and sanitarium bills.

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Related

Calamia v. National Hosiery Mills
164 So. 146 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1935)
Hamilton v. Lee
144 So. 249 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1932)
General Exchange Ins. Corporation v. Carp
176 So. 145 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1937)
Wilson v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co.
180 So. 870 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1938)
Balsamo v. Hall
170 So. 402 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1936)
Driefus v. Levy
140 So. 259 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1932)
Franz v. Shushan
131 So. 591 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1930)
Bagert v. Maestri
131 So. 863 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1928)
Werner v. Yellow Cab Co.
188 N.W. 77 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1922)

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Bluebook (online)
193 So. 600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lotspeich-v-shreveport-rys-co-lactapp-1939.