Noie v. Johnson

32 Ohio Law. Abs. 296
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1940
DocketNo. 3229
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 32 Ohio Law. Abs. 296 (Noie v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Noie v. Johnson, 32 Ohio Law. Abs. 296 (Ohio Ct. App. 1940).

Opinions

OPINION

By BARNES, J.

The above-entitled cause is now being determined as an error proceeding by reason of plaintiff’s appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County, Ohio.

Plaintiff’s action was predicated upon claimed injuries and damage sustained in an automobile collision at street intersections. Said accident allegedly occurred on October 9, 1938, in the City of Lancaster, Ohio.

The sole and only ground of negligence set out in the petition is the following:

“which collision was brought about by the failure and negligence of defendant to keep his auto under control.”

On the trial of the case to a jury and at the close of plaintiff’s testimony, defendant interposed motion for a directed verdict, which said motion was sustained and the jury returned its verdict against the plaintiff and in favor of the defendant. Motion for new trial was duly filed, overruled and judgment entered on the verdict.

Notice of appeal was duly filed within the time prescribed under the code.

Plaintiff’s claimed errors are set out under seven separately stated and numbered specifications, as follows:

[297]*297“1. The verdict is contrary to the evidence.
2. It is against the weight of the evidence.
3. It is contrary to law.
4. The court erred in sustaining the motion for directed verdict in favor of defendant-appellee.
5. The court erred in refusing to allow plaintiff-appellant to introduce evidence to show that there were signs on Front Street in Lancaster, Ohio, designating Fair Avenue as the main thorpughfare for right-of-way.
6. The court erred in overruling the .plaintiff-appellant’s motion for leave
to file a second amended petition after judgment.
7. There are other errors apparent on the record.”

Counsel for appellant makes no attempt to follow the order in which the above assignments of error are stated. Many of the assignments, particularly 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be grouped. In effect the first four assignments of error raise the question as to the sufficiency of the evidence under the law.

The determination of this question required a full and careful reading of the record.

This we have endeavored to do.

According to the petition and the evidence, immediately prior to the collision plaintiff’s .automobile was being-driven east on West Fair Avenue, Lancaster, Ohio, and defendant’s auto, north on North Front Street, Lancaster, Ohio. The collision occurred at •the southwest corner of said Front Street and Fair Avenue.

The position of the two moving automobiles at once suggests the question ^of- who had the right-of-way.

Secs. 6310-28 and 6310-28a GC, answers the question.

The first section reads as follows:

“6310-28. ‘Right of way’ means the right of a vehicle to proceed uninterruptedly in a lawful manner in the direction in which it is moving in preference to another vehicle approaching from a different direction into its path.”

The pertinent portion of §6310-28a reads as follows:

“Excepting where otherwise hereinafter provided the operator of a vehicle shall yield the right of way at the intersection of its path and the path of another vehicle approaching from the right.”

The admitted fact being that the defendant’s car was approaching from the right, it thereby had the right of way, provided it was proceeding in a lawful manner.

There was no allegation in the petition by which the exceptions “where otherwise hereinafter provided” under §6310-28a would change the right-of-way rule favoring the vehicle approaching from the right. Under this situation plaintiff was required to present evidence tending to show a justifiable excuse for not yielding the right-of-way to the defendant. Otherwise she would be guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law. Plaintiff introduced no evidence at all to tend to excuse her entrance into the intersection ahead of defendant’s car.

It was drawn out on cross-examination of plaintiff and her witnesses that the intersection was unobstructed and that there was a clear view in the direction from which defendant was approaching. Neither the plaintiff nor her husband saw the defendant’s car until the collision took place. Consequently they could and did give no .evidence supporting the allegation that the defendant’s car was out of control.

One occupant of plaintiff’s car testified that she must have seen the approaching car just before the collision, for the reason that she remembers screaming and that defendant’s car was approaching fast.

Another witness for plaintiff, Ralph H. Gherkin, ■ a resident of Lancaster, Ohio, was driving on one of these streets and approached the intersection shortly before the collision. He saw both cars approaching, and also saw them come together. He said that both were [298]*298driven at a moderate rate of speed, but too fast in an intersection. He was not inquired of, nor did lie give any rate of speed. A question was put to this witness as to there being a stop sign on the street on which defendant was driving. Objection was interposed and sustained on the ground that the petition failed to make any claim of failure to observe stop signs. This ruling of the court is claimed to be prejudicially erroneous under appellant’s fifth assignment of error. We will refer to it in more detail later.

Plaintiff and some of her witnesses in their testimony presented evidence as to statements made by the defendant several days after the accident when he called at the hospital and later at plaintiff’s residence. These witnesses testified that defendant talked about a settlement. Of course, this evidence was improper, but was not objected to or ruled upon by the court. . In addition, the witnesses testified that the defendant said he was the dirty dog that brought about the collision: that he did not see the stop sign.

We have now referred to all the evidence contained in the record which could in any way support plaintiff’s allegation that defendant failed to have his car under control. The claimed statements of defendant would not have such an effect, although it might be evidence of a corroborative character, if there was anything to corroborate. The entire record presents a complete absence of evidence which either directly or by inference would support the. claimed negligence set out in the petition.

It is our determination that the trial court was absolutely right in directing a verdict on the ground that no evidence had been presented supporting the alleged negligence.

It has been repeatedly held in this state that in negligence actions plaintiff must set out in his petition the particulars in which he claims the defendant was guilty of negligence, and in the trial of his case he is limited to such specifications and may not present evidence of other acts of negligence.

Our court so determined in the case of Cunardi v Boomershine, 22 Abs 16. As authority for our holding we refer to O. Jur., Vol. 29, p. 605, §134.

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Bluebook (online)
32 Ohio Law. Abs. 296, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noie-v-johnson-ohioctapp-1940.