Moran v. Moran

246 N.W. 711, 124 Neb. 379, 1933 Neb. LEXIS 27
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 14, 1933
DocketNo. 28339
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 246 N.W. 711 (Moran v. Moran) 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
Moran v. Moran, 246 N.W. 711, 124 Neb. 379, 1933 Neb. LEXIS 27 (Neb. 1933).

Opinion

Eberly, J.

Action under Lord Campbell’s Act by plaintiff as administrator of the estate of Winnifred E. Moran, his deceased wife, to recover damages for her death due to injuries received in an automobile accident. This accident, and the fatal injuries to the deceased caused thereby, it is alleged were due to the negligence of defendant Maurice B. Moran in the operation of the automobile in which Winnifred E. Moran was riding, and also of Michael J. Moran, the owner thereof. The answer admits the occurrence of the accident, - denies generally the allegations of negligence contained in the petition, specifically denies “that the accident was caused by the defendants,” and pleads contributory negligence on the part of the deceased. Plaintiff, by reply, denied new matter contained in the answer, and on issues thus framed a trial to a jury resulted in a verdict and judgment for plaintiff in the sum of $3,500. Defendants’ motion for new trial was overruled, and they appeal.

In this court the sufficiency of the evidence is challenged; error is alleged in the refusal, and in the giving, of certain instructions by the trial court; rulings of the trial court in the admission and exclusion of evidence are complained of; and it is insisted that the defense of contributory negligence was established. This is a law action. In view .of the verdict of the jury, who are the constitutional determiners of litigated facts, though the evidence on some questions may be said to conflict, still we find it ample to support the jury’s findings. We have exam[381]*381ined the instructions, the giving of which as well as the refusal to give by the trial court is complained of, but find no reversible error committed. Likewise, the rulings of the district court on the admission and rejection of testimony, upon due consideration we find are not properly subject to the criticism made; nor do we find the jury erred in their consideration of the evidence relating to the defense of contributory negligence.

In the light of the jury’s verdict, it may be said that the following facts may be deemed to be established by the evidence: Michael J. Moran, defendant, and Thomas F. Moran are brothers, and the deceased and the wife of Michael J. Moran are sisters. Michael lived at Wymore, Nebraska, and owned a Chevrolet automobile, kept by him for business and pleasure, and ordinarily operated by himself and other members of his family. On November 5, 1930, he entrusted this car to his son Maurice, aged 24 years, but who still lived at home as a member of the father’s family. This was done for the purpose of conveying Mrs. Michael J. Moran, her sister, and two young men to Eram, Oklahoma, and return. This party made the trip to Eram without incident. On the return journey at one o’clock a. m. on November 9, 1930, this Chevrolet containing this party, with Maurice B. Moran at the wheel, then proceeding northward over an improved and graveled highway, collided with a southbound truck then traveling on the portion of the road west of the center -thereof. At the time of the collision the Chevrolet was being driven on its left (or wrong) side of the highway at the rate of 50 miles an hour. No successful attempt to check its speed, or to return to its proper position on the highway, was accomplished by the driver prior to the collision, although the lights of the approaching truck were discernible and actually discovered by the driver and occupants of the car when several hundred yards distant. The result of the collision was that the Chevrolet was deflected into the road ditch, turned clear over and landed on its wheels. From this Winnifred E. Moran re[382]*382ceived the injuries that ultimately caused her death. She was a member of this party by invitation. So far as disclosed by the evidence, she occupied the rear seat during the trip; she “was not accustomed to riding in automobiles very much;” previously had not ridden with Maurice B. Moran as driver; and thought that he was driving too fast on the return trip and “cautioned him several times” to that effect.

As applicable to the situation presented by this record, this court is committed to the rule: “Where the owner of a private motor vehicle gratuitously carries another person therein as a passenger, he owes such passenger the duty of exercising ordinary care in the operation of the vehicle, and will be liable in damages if his failure to exercise such care is the proximate cause of injury to his passenger.” Jessup v. Davis, 115 Neb. 1.

In the present case the automobile, a family car, was entrusted by the owner to the driver, his son, for a definite purpose, and with knowledge of intended employment, and evidently with actual knowledge on the part of the owner of his son’s propensity for rapid driving. He is, therefore, chargeable with the results of the son’s negligence, a conclusion which is not seriously questioned in the briefs.

Nor did the jury err in its rejection of the defense of contributory negligence in this case; In Jones v. Schreiber, 166 Minn. 177, the supreme court of that state had before it a case wherein “defendant and his wife invited plaintiff, her sister and husband to take an automobile ride. Defendant drove the car, the two gentlemen occupying the front seat and the three ladies the rear. * * * All the parties were of mature years and on friendly terms. * * * The car was traveling between 45 and 50 miles per hour for perhaps a mile immediately prior to the accident, during which time the plaintiff did not talk.” As a result of the speed the car went into a side ditch seriously injuring the plaintiff. In discussing the contention of contributory negligence on part of the plaintiff, the [383]*383Minnesota court said: “She (plaintiff)- had never driven a car, but realizing that they were traveling at a dangerous speed became frightened. But being defendant’s guest and apparently in fear of being considered officious, she did not protest. There is no rule that decides where silence under such circumstances should cease. Plaintiff had no physical control of the car and no authority to direct its operation. Upon such facts it cannot be said that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law.” See, also Johnson v. Evans, 141 Minn. 356; Lochhead v. Jensen, 42 Utah, 99; Glick v. Baer, 186 Wis. 268.

In Marks v. Dorkin, 105 Conn. 521, a guest who hesitated about accepting the invitation to ride by reason of having considered the driver careless on a previous occasion was held not negligent in consenting to go along, particularly where he asked the defendant to slow up while the latter was speeding at the rate of from 55 to 60 miles an hour, which resulted in the'accident in which the litigated injuries were sustained. See, also, Carlson v. Millisack, 82 Colo. 491; Krause v. Hall, 195 Wis. 565; Stenstrom v. Blooston, 177 Minn. 95; Truso v. Ehnert, 177 Minn. 249; Brown v. Davis, 84 Cal. App. 180.

Indeed, in view of the situation of the plaintiff’s intestate immediately prior to the accident, her repeated protests to the driver as to his excessive speed fully, if not more than, complied with the requirement of the law. She was not required to leave the car, rather than continue therein, in view of the situation then existing. Thomas v. Carter, 218 Ala. 55.

On the questions just discussed, the verdict of the jury finds ample support in the evidence.

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Bluebook (online)
246 N.W. 711, 124 Neb. 379, 1933 Neb. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moran-v-moran-neb-1933.