McLean v. City of Lewiston

69 P. 478, 8 Idaho 472, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 44
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 5, 1902
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 69 P. 478 (McLean v. City of Lewiston) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McLean v. City of Lewiston, 69 P. 478, 8 Idaho 472, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 44 (Idaho 1902).

Opinion

STTLLIYAN, J.

— This action was brought by the respondents, who are husband and wife, for damages to the wife by reason of a defective sidewalk and of a cellar door opening therein. It is alleged that while said respondent, without fault or negligence on her part, was walking along said sidewalk, she was violently precipitated through said cellar door into the cellar underneath; that she was in an extremely delicate condition, being pregnant with child; was greatly bruised and injured, and received great bodily injury, and was made sick and sore, and received such injuries as to render her an invalid and a cripple. A demurrer was interposed to the complaint and overruled. Thereupon the appellant answered, denying all of the material allegations of the complaint except the corporate existence of appellant. The answer also averred contributory negligence on the part of respondents. A jury trial was had, [482]*482and resulted in a verdict of $12,000 for respondents, on which judgment was entered. A motion for a new trial was denied. This appeal is from the judgment and the order denying the motion for a new trial.

Seventy-eight errors are assigned as grounds for a reversal of said judgment. The first is that the court erred in overruling the demurrer to the complaint. It is contended that this action was brought under the following provision of the city charter, to wit: “The city of Lewiston shall be liable to anyone for any loss or injury to person or property growing out of any casualty or accident happening to any such person or property on account of the condition of any street or any public ground therein.” It is contended that at common law an action for damages by a private individual against a municipal corporation for an injury sustained by a defect in a highway could not be maintained, and for that reason the respondents are held to the express terms of said quoted provision of the city charter; and that, as said provision makes no mention of the sidewalks, the complaint fails to state a cause of action. We cannot agree with this contention. This court held in Giffen v. City of Lewiston, 6 Idaho, 231, 55 Pac. 545, that the words “street or public grounds,” as used in the above-quoted provision of the city charter, were broad enough to cover and include sidewalks; and, after considering the very able argument of counsel for appellant, we are not inclined to reverse said decision on that point. After a most careful consideration of all of the grounds of said demurrer, we cannot say that the court erred in overruling it. It is true that the complaint is not as specific as some pleaders would have made it, but we think the ultimate facts therein stated constitute a cause of action. In this class of eases the pleader must state all facts necessary to inform the defendant of all acts or omissions that are charged against the defendant, so as to enable him to make a full and complete defense thereto. It is an established rule of pleading that probative facts need not be pleaded.

On an examination of the answer and the proceedings at the trial we find that the attorneys for the appellant did all that [483]*483could be done to protect the rights of the city, and were in no way misled because the allegations in the complaint were not more specific. This disposes of the second assignment of error.

Assignments Nos. 3 to 16, inclusive, and 26 to 29, inclusive, relate to the action of the court in overruling appellant’s objection to questions propounded to witnesses J. A. McLean and Dr. Brown by counsel for respondents. It is contended that said questions are leading and suggestive, and have for their object and purpose the proving of permanent injuries to respondent Mrs. McLean; and it is earnestly contended that under the allegations of the complaint testimony of permanent -injury was inadmissible, for the reason that such injury is not alleged in the complaint. On the point made as to said questions being leading and suggestive, we would say that under proper circumstances and conditions leading questions are permissible — questions introductory in character; questions to a hostile witness; and cases where it is shown that the witness does not comprehend the import of the question propounded, or is embarrassed. There are many exceptions to the general rule on this subject. And as the permission to ask such questions is largely in the discretion of the court, such discretion will not be disturbed, unless an abuse of it is shown, which is not done in this case. And on the other point, to wit, that the allegation of permanent injury in the complaint is not sufficient to warrant the admission of evidence thereof, we are of the opinion that such allegation is sufficient. The main allegation on that issue is that respondent Mrs. McLean received such great bodily injuries as to render her an invalid and a cripple. That allegation, in connection with other allegations of injury showing permanent injury, is sufficient. The evidence called out by the questions last above referred to was as to the health of respondent Mrs. McLean prior to and after injury; as to her ability to nurse her child after the injury; as to her complaints 'of ill-health before and after the accident; as to her disability and lameness; in regard to the rupture of respondent; as to her physical condition during the birth of her child; as to her ability to bear children after the injury; as to effect of injuries on her general [484]*484health; and as to whether, in the opinion of the physician, she was permanently injured for life — all of which evidence was admissible under the issues made by the pleadings.

Assignments 33 to 36 relate to a long hypothetical question propounded to medical witnesses of respondents. We have carefully examined said question, and, while we think it is more specific than was necessary, it is based on the facts shown by the evidence. Dr. Luhn’s answer to said question was as follows: “I believe that a woman — such a one as described in the question — could not continue to be a healthy woman, and would probably be a wreck, a physical wreck.” Other assignments of error go to the proof of the permanency of said injury, and the points therein involved are hereinabove disposed of.

Assignment No. 40 goes to the right of counsel for respondents, on cross-examination of a medical witness, to make out his case by such cross-examination. It appears that Dr. Shaff was called as a medical expert on the part of the city, and on cross-examination the hypothetical question above referred to was put to Mm. That question had been answered by the medical experts of respondents, and the answer of this witness corroborated the evidence of respondents’ experts and served to strengthen it. But respondents did not rely on that cross-examination to make out their case. Under the law a liberal range is allowed in the cross-examination of expert witnesses, and we do not think the court erred in said matter. This applies also to assignment of error 43, in regard to the examination of the witness Phillips. .

Objection was made to cross-examination of appellant’s witnesses called to impeach one of respondents’ witnesses, and on a careful examination of the interrogatories propounded we are unable to say that permitting such examination was error. Great latitude is allowed in cross-examination of impeaching witnesses.

Many other errors are assigned to the action of the court in the admission and rejection of evidence, which we have considered, and find no substantial error in them.

[485]

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Bluebook (online)
69 P. 478, 8 Idaho 472, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 44, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mclean-v-city-of-lewiston-idaho-1902.