Norwalk Truck Line Co. v. Kostka

88 N.E.2d 799, 120 Ind. App. 383, 1949 Ind. App. LEXIS 223
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 25, 1949
DocketNo. 17,932.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 88 N.E.2d 799 (Norwalk Truck Line Co. v. Kostka) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Norwalk Truck Line Co. v. Kostka, 88 N.E.2d 799, 120 Ind. App. 383, 1949 Ind. App. LEXIS 223 (Ind. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinions

Royse, J.

— Appellee brought this action against appellant for damages for personal injuries sustained in an accident when the automobile which appellee was driving collided with a truck of appellant on Lincoln-way in the City of LaPorte.

The material allegations of the complaint may be summarized as follows: That there is in the County of LaPorte a certain public highway known as Lincoln-way, which runs in a general east and west direction through the City of LaPorte; that on the south side of said highway in said City there is a terminal station which appellant used for the purpose of transferring and reloading freight which it was engaged in hauling. Surrounding this terminal is a large yard in which appellant operated its trucks or tractors and trailers or semi-trailers in the conduct of its business; that at *390 about midnight on the 6th day of June, 1942, appellant was using said yard and was operating a truck or tractor to which was attached a trailer or semi-trailer; that appellant, by and through its agent, unlawfully, negligently and carelessly drove said vehicle directly north from said terminal station yard across said Lincolnway; that at the time said vehicle was so operated appellee was driving in an easterly direction in said city and on said highway toward the place where appellant’s vehicle obstructed the highway; that the automobile which appellee was at the time driving collided with and crashed into the side of appellant’s vehicle; that the collision was caused by the following acts of negligence on the part of appellant:

“1. In negligently driving said truck or tractor and trailer or semi-trailer across said Lincolnway.
“2. In negligently obstructing the passageway along said highway.
“3. In negligently failing to have said truck or tractor and trailer or semi-trailer equipped with lights.
“4. In negligently failing to warn the plaintiff of the fact that they had said highway entirely obstructed.
“5. In negligently and unlawfully operating said truck or tractor and trailer or semi-trailer in said time and place in violation of the laws of the State of Indiana in such case made and provided.
“6. In negligently operating said motor vehicle in such reckless manner as to endanger the life and limb of persons using the public highway at said time and place, including this plaintiff.
“7. In negligently failing to have sufficient head lights or other lights in violation of statute heretofore made and provided.”

*391 That as a result of said negligent and unlawful acts appellee sustained the following injuries:

“The loss of his left arm at the shoulder; severe lacerations about the head and face; severe bruises of the body and head and severe shock to his entire nervous system and concussion of the brain,”

As a result of said injuries appellee was forced to employ the services of a physician and required hospitalization; had to submit to operations; suffered excruciating physical and mental pain; is unable to continue in his usual occupation; that he is permanently” nervous and depressed; all to his damage in the sum of $50,000.

To this complaint appellant filed its answer of admission and denial under the rules. The case was tried to a jury. Before the jury retired the trial court took from its consideration the third and fifth specifications of negligence. On proper request the trial court submitted twenty-one- interrogatories to the jury. The jury answered the interrogatories and rendered its general verdict for $30,000 against appellant.

The trial court overruled appellant’s motion for judgment in its favor on the answers to interrogatories notwithstanding the general verdict. Judgment on the verdict.

The errors assigned here are: (1) The trial court erred in overruling appellant’s motion for judgment on the answers, etc.; (2) In overruling its motion for a new trial.

Appellee contends we should not consider the errors assigned because appellant, in the preparation of its brief, has violated Rule 2-17 (f),(g), of the Supreme Court, by setting forth argument and elaboration of propositions and application of *392 legal principles and authorities to the questions presented under the heading “Propositions, Points and Authorities,” and by failing to confine the same to the heading “Argument.” While there is some technical merit to appellee’s contention, we have been able to determine the questions which appellant seeks to raise, and prefer to decide this case on such questions.

Interrogatories 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20 and 21 and the answers of the jury thereto were as follows:

“Int. 13 — Did plaintiff fail to see the defendant’s trailer before the collision ?
“Ans. — Yes.
“Int. 14 — If the foregoing interrogatory is answered in the affirmative, what, if anything, prevented the plaintiff from seeing said trailer before the collision in time to have avoided the collision ?
“Ans. — No evidence.
“Int. 15 — If the answer to interrogatory 13 is in the affirmative, was such failure to see the defendant’s trailer before the collision the sole cause of the collision?
“Ans. — Yes.
“Int. 16 — If the answer to interrogatory 13 is in the affirmative, was such failure to see the defendant’s trailer before the collision one of the causes of the collision?
“Ans. — Yes.
“Int. 17 — Immediately prior to the collision, at what speed was plaintiff traveling?
“Ans. — No evidence.
“Int. 20 — Was the speed at which the plaintiff was approaching the point of collision the sole cause of the collision?
“Ans. — No.
“Int. 21 — Was the speed at which the plaintiff was approaching the point of collision one of the causes of the collision?
“Ans. — No.”

*393 Appellant contends that the jury, by answering interrogatory 14 “No evidence,” in effect found that nothing done by it prevented appellee from seeing its vehicle in time to have avoided the collision and therefore indicates a complete failure of proof on the question of its negligence. It further contends that by the answers to interrogatories 15 and 16 the jury found that the failure of appellee to see its vehicle was the only and sole cause of the collision and that such failure to see was not caused by anything done or omitted to be done by it.

In determining the question presented by the first assignment of error we may consider only the pleadings, the general verdict, the interrogatories and the answers thereto.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Canfield v. Sandock
546 N.E.2d 1237 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1989)
Shirey v. Schlemmer
223 N.E.2d 759 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1967)
Bree v. Jalbert
209 A.2d 836 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1965)
Burk v. Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co.
202 N.E.2d 387 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1964)
Podell v. BOGER, ETC.
145 N.E.2d 730 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1957)
Norwalk Truck Line Co. v. Kostka
88 N.E.2d 799 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
88 N.E.2d 799, 120 Ind. App. 383, 1949 Ind. App. LEXIS 223, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/norwalk-truck-line-co-v-kostka-indctapp-1949.