McGaffey v. Blosser

261 N.W. 565, 129 Neb. 371, 1935 Neb. LEXIS 193
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 2, 1935
DocketNo. 29275
StatusPublished

This text of 261 N.W. 565 (McGaffey v. Blosser) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McGaffey v. Blosser, 261 N.W. 565, 129 Neb. 371, 1935 Neb. LEXIS 193 (Neb. 1935).

Opinion

Eberly, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment rendered against the plaintiff, in the district court for Nuckolls county, in an action for damages arising from the collision of two automobiles on a well-lighted business and residence street in the city of Superior about midnight on July 22, 1933.

It appears that one Gingrich, the owner of one of the cars involved, together with Schlitt and plaintiff, McGaffey, had started from Superior and gone to a dance some distance from that town in Gingrich’s automobile. On arrival of the party at the place of entertainment, Gingrich and Schlitt went into the dance hall. McGaffey remained in the car in which he had arrived. About thirty minutes later Schlitt returned to the automobile, of which McGaffey was then the sole occupant, and the latter then requested [372]*372Schlitt to drive him to Superior. This Schlitt then proceeded to do. After arrival at this city they were driving south on Commercial avenue or Main street, which is one of the principal business streets in Superior. It runs north and south. En route they crossed intersecting streets, Eighth, Seventh, and Sixth, and were continuing south to the intersection of Fifth street on their right side of the street when they crashed into defendant Blosser’s parked car, and thereby the damages in suit were sustained. The Blosser car, at the time of the collision, was-upon the street pavement, in front of defendant’s home, at approximately the center of the block, within a few inches of the west curb. It had been raining immediately prior to the collision, and was still drizzling when it happened. The street was wet and the view of plaintiff and his companion was much obstructed by the moisture on the windshield of their car, which, together with the illumination of the street in its then wet condition, operated to produce glaring lights which were blinding in their effect. Defendant Blosser’s car, involved in this suit, was a 1933 Chevrolet sedan, weighing about 3,000 pounds, and having a width over all of 5 feet, 9 inches. As it was parked it was-within a few inches of the west curb, and more than 15 feet upon the main traveled highway opposite such standing vehicle was left for free passage of other vehicles-thereon. It was also provided with two Gladd reflectors, one in each rear fender, the same being standard equipment of Chevrolet cars of that model. At the time of' leaving his car, after parking it, defendant had put it “in reverse” and it was still in reverse at the time of the accident. But all of its lights had been turned off, and there was no red tail-light showing at the moment of impact,, save and except as created by the reflectors referred to.. At the intersection of Fifth street and Commercial avenue,, south of the place where the collision occurred, there was-an electrolier which had 250-watt light bulbs; at the intersection on the north of Blosser’s home at Sixth street and Commercial avenue, there was a street light containing; [373]*373a 125-watt bulb; the principal hotel of the city was located at the corner of Fifth street and Commercial avenue, and across the street from the hotel was a filling station having-lights in front thereof; also, on the same street between Fifth and Sixth there were two churches.

Both plaintiff and the driver of his car had practically spent their entire lives in Superior, and plaintiff testified that he knew that it was the custom, at various times, to park cars on both sides of Commercial avenue, and it appears that he was an experienced driver. The uncontradicted evidence is that the scene of the collision was well lighted at the time the accident occurred. A disinterested witness testified that he heard the impact, and saw, from his bedroom window, a distance of 85 feet, the plaintiff in the middle of the street, and saw the roadster, from which plaintiff had been thrown, as it came to a stop. Another witness, “sitting in her car” in front of the Nebraskan hotel, more than 200 feet away, was able to see the approaching car in which plaintiff was riding, and to observe his movements after the collision. A mail carrier, who-lived on Commercial avenue just north of the Fifth street, intersection, testifies as to the lighting of Commercial avenue at the scene of the accident, and states that objects-were visible that night on that street from his residence as far as the north end of the block in which the Blosser residence was located.

Plaintiff definitely predicates his right of recovery on the absence of rear red lights showing on the Blosser parked car at the time of the collision. In support of this-contention, section 5 of the Municipal Code of the city of Superior, Nebraska, was introduced in evidence, reading-as follows:

“Lights, Brakes, etc. Every motor vehicle while in use-on the streets of this city shall be provided with good and sufficient brakes, and also with a suitable bell, horn, or other signal, and shall show exhibited during the period from one (1) hour after sunset to one (1) hour before sunrise, one lamp on motorcycles and two or more lamps. [374]*374on four (4) wheeled motor vehicles showing white lights visible within a reasonable distance from the direction towards which such vehicle is proceeding, and a red light from the reverse direction.”

In his brief appellant states his position as follows: “Leaving an unlighted vehicle on a highway, on a dark night without warning, constitutes gross negligence within the comparative negligence statute.” The above is the holding in Monasmith v. Cosden Oil Co., 124 Neb. 327.

It will be observed that the author of the opinion in the Monasmith case cites as controlling authority the case of Giles v. Welsh, 122 Neb. 164. In the Giles case the accident occurred on a dark, misty night on an unlighted county road. As a reason for the decision announced in the Giles case, this court stated: “They had a right to assume that there would be no motor vehicle without a tail-light upon the highway.”

In the instant case the undisputed evidence justifies the conclusion that the place of the accident was well lighted, from which the fair range of vision extended more than 200 feet both north and south along Commercial avenue.

Then, too, both the Monasmith and the Giles cases were determined with direct reference to the statute then in force, providing: “Every motor vehicle while in use on public highways * * * shall have exhibited during the period from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise * * * two lamps on four-wheeled motor vehicles showing white lights visible, within a reasonable distance, from the direction in which such vehicle is proceeding, and a red light visible from the reverse direction.” Comp. St. 1929, sec. 39-1105.

In both of the cases just referred to, the trucks causing the collisions were, at the time of the accidents, in actual use, and in charge of their drivers. They had been proceeding over the highways and had become temporarily “stalled,” and stopped on the traveled portion of unlighted, public highways on dark nights, without exhibiting any of the lights required by the statutes then in force. Obvious[375]*375ly, in view of the surrounding circumstances, and the express requirements of our legislation then in force, actionable negligence was evidenced.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
261 N.W. 565, 129 Neb. 371, 1935 Neb. LEXIS 193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgaffey-v-blosser-neb-1935.