Morris v. Peyton

139 S.E. 500, 148 Va. 812, 1927 Va. LEXIS 279
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedSeptember 29, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 139 S.E. 500 (Morris v. Peyton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morris v. Peyton, 139 S.E. 500, 148 Va. 812, 1927 Va. LEXIS 279 (Va. 1927).

Opinion

Crump, P.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

Peyton, plaintiff in the trial court, Circuit Court of the city of Newport News, recovered of Morris, the defendant in the case, $500.00 as damages for negligent injury. Morris assigns error.

The only assignment of error is to the ruling of the trial court refusing to set aside the verdict of the jury, and is stated in the petition for writ of error as follows:

“That the trial court erred in refusing to set aside the verdict and enter judgment for the defendant, on the ground that the verdict was contrary to the law and the evidence and without evidence to support it, and on the grounds that there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the defendant and no causal connection between any act or omission of the defendant and the injury, and that the allegata and probata did not correspond in that the notice of motion the plaintiff laid as his sole ground of negligence the alleged negligent method of operation of the truck while under the evidence his only claim of negligence was in the evidence that the defendant’s driver allowed the plaintiff to ride on the running board while moving at five miles an hour.”

Two subjects of complaint are thus presented to this court for consideration: (1) That there was a variance between the allegations of the notice of motion for judgment and the proof offered on the trial; (2) that the verdict was contrary to the law and evidence and without evidence to support it.

The defendant filed no demurrer to the notice of motion, and made no demand for a bill of particulars of plaintiff’s claim.

No objection was made to any of the plaintiff’s-evidence on the ground of variance until after the [816]*816jury’s verdict. A careful examination of the record fails to disclose any such objection, or any motion to exclude any portion of plaintiff’s evidence. If any such question had been raised during the course of the trial, the court would doubtless have allowed the plaintiff,' if essential, to amend the notice of motion, pursuant to the settled practice under section 6250 of the Code. In case of variance between the evidence and the allegations the usual and correct practice is to object to the evidence when offered, or if it is already in, to move to exclude it, and in either event to except to an adverse ruling of the court. Attention is thus called to the discrepancy and an opportunity offered the other party to cure the objection.

It is elementary law that the proof must correspond with the allegations. But to avail himself of this rule a defendant is required to make timely objection.

If there was in any particular a variance between the notice and the proof in this case, the defendant waived it by failure to make timely objection, and by availing himself of full opportunity to meet the plaintiff’s proof by evidence on his behalf. Under such circumstances the objection to the verdict of the jury on this ground presents nothing for consideration by the' appellate court. Du Pont Engineering Co. v. Blair, 129 Va. 423, 106 S. E. 328; Foltz v. Conrad Realty Co., 131 Va. 496, 109 S. E. 463; Virginia & S. W. Ry. Co. v. Bailey, 103 Va. 205, 227, 49 S. E. 33; Burks’ Pl. & Prac. (2nd ed.) pages 587-588.

In order to determine whether the trial court erred in refusing to set asidé the verdict on the ground that it was contrary to the evidence, it is necessary to make a brief statement' of the facts. As the- jury found for the plaintiff and the verdict was approved [817]*817by the trial court, all controverted matters arising from conflicts of evidence must be resolved in favor of the plaintiff. Crowell v. Duncan, 145 Va. 489, 134 S. E. 576.

The plaintiff was a negro boy who became thirteen years of age on October 24, 1925, and the injury complained of occurred the following month, November 27, 1925. The defendant conducted a junk and barrel business in Newport News, and on the day in question the driver of a truck used in the business had driven the truck to a city dump near Warwick avenue at its intersection with 15th street to get some rags. On his arrival he found the truck had begun to heat up and needed water. At the time he reached the dump the plaintiff and a companion boy named Holloway, eleven years of age, were playing about the place. The two boys assisted the driver in getting the water, whereupon he gave the Holloway boy a nickel, presumably for both the boys. The truck was then headed up Warwick avenue, the accident occurring two blocks further, about 17th street. The driver cranked the truck and the two boys got on the truck with him, the plaintiff intending to get off at 16th street. The driver testified that the boys asked for a ride up the street, and he told them “all right” and they got on. But the plaintiff testified that the driver promised to give them a ride for getting the water, offered to give them a ride, and he did not get on the truck without being asked or told to do so. The Holloway boy sat on the seat of the truck to the right of the driver. The plaintiff stood on the running board of the truck, and his account of the accident is as follows:

■ “Q. And you were on the right hand side of the machine?

“A. Yes, sir.

[818]*818“Q. Standing on the running board, you say?

“Q. Is there any question about that? Are you sure you were standing on the running board or were you sitting down?

“A. I was standing on the running board.

“Q. Did you stand on the running board and ride from the place at which the truck was to 17th street?

“Q. Did you stand there all the time during the time you were on the truck?

“Q. Could you see Bradshaw from where you were standing?

“Q. Could he see you?

“Q. When you said to him that you wanted to get off at 16th street, what happened?

“A. He had passed 16th street and was coming to 17th street and I told him I wanted to get off right here and'he told me not to jump off until he stopped.

“Q. Where were you then? Were you at 16th street or 17th street when he told you?

“A. Just had passed 16th street.

“Q. Then what did you do?

“A. I was waiting until he could stop the truck and before he could stop I fell. off.

“Q. Had the truck turned the corner then?

“Q. Or were you just turning?

“A. He was turning into 17th street.

“Q. You were not barefooted at that time, were you?

“A. No, sir.

[819]*819“Q. What kind of shoes did you have on?

“A. I had on my football shoes, wood up under the bottom.”

Again he says in the course of his evidence:

“Q. How far beyond 16th street did you go?

“A. One block.

“Q. Then what happened?

“A. I was thrown off.

“Q. You were thrown off at 17th street, is that right?

“A. Yes, sir.”

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Bluebook (online)
139 S.E. 500, 148 Va. 812, 1927 Va. LEXIS 279, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morris-v-peyton-va-1927.