Mayabb v. Grand Trunk Western Railroad

116 N.W.2d 887, 367 Mich. 374, 1962 Mich. LEXIS 424
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 7, 1962
DocketDocket No. 30, Calendar No. 49,310
StatusPublished

This text of 116 N.W.2d 887 (Mayabb v. Grand Trunk Western Railroad) 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
Mayabb v. Grand Trunk Western Railroad, 116 N.W.2d 887, 367 Mich. 374, 1962 Mich. LEXIS 424 (Mich. 1962).

Opinions

Dethmers, J.

A collision occurred in broad daylight at a railroad crossing between a northbound automobile owned and driven by plaintiff and defendant’s eastbound train. Plaintiff was severely injured physically and rendered mentally incompetent. From judgment for defendant, plaintiff appeals.

Plaintiff claims negligence on defendant’s part in the following respects: (1) failure to keep its right-of-way free from bushes and foliage obstructing the view between its train and plaintiff as he approached the railroad tracks; (2) failure to sound its whistle as train approached the crossing; (3) failure to maintain adequate signs warning of the location of the tracks; (4) failure to have train under control and running it at a speed greater than would permit stopping it within the assured clear distance ahead.

Defendant claims that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence in that, although he lived nearby and was familiar with'the crossing and its loca[376]*376tion, the embankment on which the railroad track was located conld be seen from 1/4 mile south on the road, there was a cross-buck railroad crossing sign at the northwest corner of the crossing, though one was missing at the southeast corner, a standard railroad crossing approach sign was some 250 feet south of the crossing, and the whistle of the train was timely sounded, nevertheless, in spite of all that, he drove his car at from 40 to 50 miles per hour unto the railroad right-of-way and ran into the side of the cowcatcher attached to the front of the locomotive, which, defendant says, was traveling at a rate of 30 miles per hour.

Touching the above contentions, the chief conflict in the testimony relates to the blowing of the train’s whistle.

The trial resulted in a jury disagreement and the jurors were discharged. Thereupon, counsel for defendant said he felt he was entitled to renew his earlier motion for a directed verdict under CL 1948, § 691.691 (Stat Ann 1959 Cum Supp § 27.1461), but that he now also moved for judgment upon the evidence and proofs taken, under CL 1948, § 691.701 (Stat Ann § 27.1471), applicable in cases of jury disagreement. No reservation was made by counsel for defendant, in connection therewith, as to right to trial by jury if the motion were decided adversely to him. Counsel for plaintiff then arose and said:

“If the court please, I would make the same motion on behalf of the plaintiff, that the evidence presented to the jury proved negligence as a matter of _ law; that the damages resulting therefrom and proximate cause were not contested.
“The only issue raised in argument was contributory negligence and that there was no evidence to substantiate that, and, therefore, move for directed verdict—rather, judgment for the plaintiff, and ask that the same jury be impaneled to assess damages.”

[377]*377He made no reservation in connection therewith.

These motions having been made, the court announced that the motion for judgment on the evidence as made by defendant under CL 1948, § 691.701 (Stat Ann § 27.1471), was granted on the basis of the evidence and proofs taken, and also that defendant’s original motion for directed verdict “should have been granted and is now granted” because plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law. Thereafter, plaintiff’s counsel said that he had not intended, by his motion, to waive his right to jury trial but to reserve it. The court then permitted plaintiff’s counsel to withdraw his motion for judgment, and viewed the case as decided as a matter of law on defendant’s motion for a directed verdict. From the court’s permitting plaintiff thus to withdraw his said motion or, in effect, to place a qualification on it after the court had decided the case on the merits, defendant cross-appeals.

A controlling question may be considered to be whether, on this appeal, review is as on a trial without jury to determine whether judgment below is against the clear preponderance of the evidence or is as from a directed verdict or judgment non obstante veredicto for defendant with plaintiff entitled to have the evidence viewed here in the light most favorable to him.

Defendant cites Cardinal v. Reinecke, 280 Mich 15, and Shiovitz v. New York Life Ins. Co., 281 Mich 382, for the proposition that when both parties, without reservation, move for directed verdict and a verdict is directed, the case is to be considered as having been left for court decision on the facts, but if either party makes reservation of right to go to a jury, there is no waiver by either.

Plaintiff, in turn, cites Kane v. Detroit Life Insurance Company, 204 Mich 357; Burkheiser v. [378]*378City of Detroit, 270 Mich 381; and Arnold v. Krug, 279 Mich 702, as holding that submission by a party of requests to charge negatives his intent to waive a jury trial in making a motion for directed verdict. Also cited is In re Frazee’s Estate, 307 Mich 404, in which counsel’s motion for directed verdict was accompanied by the statement that he hoped that the court would submit the case to the jury without indicating how it felt on certain matters. This Court held that that amounted to a reservation of right to jury trial.

In Mellios v. Dines, 341 Mich 175, 181, this Court said:

“When, at the close of all testimony, plaintiff made a motion for a directed verdict, and defendants renewed their previous motion for a directed verdict, the court then had the power to decide the issues, as at that time neither motion had any conditions or qualifications attached to it. Subsequently defendants attempted to qualify their motion, but by arguing the cause to the trial court, they waived the right to submit any issue to the jury. Defendants are now estopped to claim that their motion was qualified.”

Applicable here is the following from Long v. Dudewicz, 355 Mich 469, 472, 473:

“We do not have the usual case of a motion by defendant for a directed verdict or a motion non obstante veredicto, but a situation where both parties unconditionally asked for a directed verdict in their favor. Both parties having asked for a directed verdict, counsel cannot now complain that there was an issue of fact for the jury. The court properly dismissed the jury and considered both the issues of fact and law. Plaintiff, the loser in this case, cannot renege. St. Mary’s Power Co. v. Chandler-Dunbar Water-Power Co., 133 Mich 470; Culligan v. Alpern, 160 Mich 241; Germain v. Loud, 189 Mich 38; Kyselka [379]*379v. Northern Assurance Co., 194 Mich 430; City National Bank v. Price’s Estate, 225 Mich 200; West v. Newton, 229 Mich 68; Mills v. Anderson, 238 Mich 643.
“In the case of City National Bank v. Price’s Estate, 225 Mich 200, 212, Justice Steere, writing for the Court, said:
“ ‘While there may he room for conflicting inferences from this testimony, both parties without reservation requested a directed verdict and put it up to the court to pass upon whatever the record presented. There was, therefore, no error in the court’s assuming to do so. Culligan v. Alpern, 160 Mich 241; Germain v.

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Related

Mellios v. Dines
67 N.W.2d 68 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1954)
Long v. Dudewicz
94 N.W.2d 844 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1959)
Dalton v. Grand Trunk Western Railroad
87 N.W.2d 145 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1957)
West v. Newton
201 N.W. 196 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1924)
Burkheiser v. City of Detroit
259 N.W. 125 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1935)
Mills v. Anderson
214 N.W. 221 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1927)
Cardinal v. Reinecke
273 N.W. 330 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1937)
In Re Frazee's Estate
12 N.W.2d 399 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1943)
City National Bank v. Price's Estate
196 N.W. 429 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1923)
Central Electric Co. v. Lemoine
248 N.W. 567 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1933)
Shiovitz v. New York Life Ins. Co.
275 N.W. 181 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1937)
Arnold v. Krug
273 N.W. 323 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1937)
St. Mary's Power Co. v. Chandler-Dunbar Water-Power Co.
95 N.W. 554 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1903)
Culligan v. Alpern
125 N.W. 20 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1910)
Germain v. Loud
155 N.W. 373 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1915)
Kyselka v. Northern Assurance Co.
160 N.W. 559 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1916)
Kane v. Detroit Life Insurance
170 N.W. 35 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1918)

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Bluebook (online)
116 N.W.2d 887, 367 Mich. 374, 1962 Mich. LEXIS 424, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mayabb-v-grand-trunk-western-railroad-mich-1962.