Popadowski v. Bergaman

26 N.E.2d 722, 304 Ill. App. 422, 1940 Ill. App. LEXIS 972
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 8, 1940
DocketGen. No. 40,813
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 26 N.E.2d 722 (Popadowski v. Bergaman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Popadowski v. Bergaman, 26 N.E.2d 722, 304 Ill. App. 422, 1940 Ill. App. LEXIS 972 (Ill. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

Mr. Justice O’Connor

delivered the opinion of the court.

Plaintiff brought suit against defendants to recover damages for personal injuries claimed to have been sustained by reason of the negligence of defendants in driving an automobile which struck and injured plaintiff. There was a jury trial, a verdict and judgment in plaintiff’s favor for $3,500. Defendants appeal.

The record discloses that plaintiff, a child a little more than seven years old, was lying on his stomach on a sled which was being pushed by his uncle, a boy thirteen years old, east in the alley a short distance north of North avenue, when one of defendants’ trucks, driven south in Hermitage avenue, collided with the sled, as a result of which plaintiff was severely injured. The accident occurred between 4:00 and 4:30 o’clock in the afternoon of January 26, 1937. It was daylight but somewhat dusky or dim. The pavements and alleys were “icy, wet and slippery.” The roadway of Hermitage avenue, a north and south street, was 38 feet wide. Wabansia avenue, an east and west street, is one block north of North avenue, and 337 feet north of the alley in question. The alley is 16 feet wide and intersects Hermitage avenue 124 feet north of North avenue. Both sides of the street are built up with residences and apartment buildings except immediately south of Wabansia avenue and east of Hermitage, where a convent and school are located. A short distance north of Wabansia avenue was a “school zone” sign.

On the day in question, the school closed at 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon and at the time of the accident a number of boys, estimated at from 10 to 25, were playing hockey in the street. Some witnesses testified the game was being played at from 100 to 150 feet north of the alley where the accident occurred, while the testimony of others is to the effect that it was from 167 to 237 feet north of the alley. Bene Bergaman, a licensed chauffeur, was driving the truck. His helper, William Bisante, 36 years old, was in the seat beside him.

As is usual in such cases, the testimony of the witnesses as to the speed of the truck varied. Some of the witnesses for plaintiff said 25 to 30 miles an hour, while the chauffeur testified that they were driving at from 14 to 16 miles and his assistant 10 to 15 miles. The evidence is also variant as to the point of contact between the sled and the truck — some testified on behalf of plaintiff to the effect that the sled struck the right front wheel of the truck, while evidence on behalf of defendants is that the sled struck the right hind wheel. Plaintiff was severely injured and no complaint is made that the verdict is excessive.

Defendants contend that “The court erred in not directing a verdict for defendants at the close of plaintiff’s case,” and the argument is that this court should consider only the evidence of plaintiff in passing on this question. The difficulty with counsels ’ contention is that the motion was waived when they put in evidence on behalf of defendants. Where a defendant makes a motion at the close of plaintiff’s case for a directed verdict, if he desires to save his point, he must introduce no evidence. But if he puts in his evidence and desires a directed verdict, he must make a second motion for a directed verdict. The court in passing on the second motion, must do so in view of all the evidence. (Cook v. Aevermann, 244 Ill. App. 644 (Abst.); Joliet A. & N. Ry. Co. v. Velie, 140 Ill. 59; Fowler v. Chicago & W. I. R. Co., 182 Ill. App. 123.) Some opinions inaccurately state the law to be that where a defendant moves for a directed verdict at the close of plaintiff’s case and the motion is overruled and defendant then introduces his evidence, he must “renew” his motion at the close of all the evidence. In such case the motion made at the close of plaintiff’s case cannot be renewed. It is out of the case for all time and, as stated, if defendant desires to have the court of review pass on the question whether plaintiff has made out a prima facie case, at the close of all the evidence, he must make a second motion based on all the evidence.

Defendants further contend that the court erred in admitting evidence over objection — that the court permitted witnesses to testify that defendants’ truck, as it was being driven south in Hermitage avenue, when it passed the boys in the street who were playing hockey nearly struck one of them. We think there is no merit in this contention. As above stated, the boys were playing in the street a short distance north of the place of the accident. A number of these boys testified as to the speed at which the truck was traveling at the time; that there was no horn sounded and that one of the boys had to jump out of the way to prevent being struck. The chauffeur, who was driving defendants’ truck and his assistant both testified they saw no boys in the street. The evidence was clearly admissible as tending to show how the truck was being driven and it was for the jury to decide, in view of all the evidence, whether defendants were guilty of negligence.

Defendants further contend that the verdict and judgment are against the manifest weight of the evidence. We have carefully considered all the evidence in the record and the argument of counsel and are clearly of opinion that whether plaintiff was in the exercise of ordinary care and whether defendants were guilty of the negligence charged, were questions for the jury.

Complaint is also made to the giving of plaintiff’s instructions numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5. By instruction 1 the jury were told in substance that if they found from the greater weight of the evidence, under the instruction of the court, the driver of the truck knew or by the exercise of ordinary care could have known that plaintiff was sliding on a sled out of the alley and the driver, by the exercise of ordinary care on his- part, could have avoided the accident, then it was his duty to exercise ordinary care, and if the jury found he had not exercised such care, etc., and found plaintiff was in the exercise of such care for his own safety as would be expected of a child of his age, with the same intelligence, experience and capacity, then it would be proper to find for the plaintiff. A number of objections are urged to this instruction but we think they are all hypercritical. The issue was plain and simple and we think the instruction could in no way mislead the jury. Instruction 2 told the jury that under the law, a child under seven years of age was incapable of being negligent and that between the ages of seven and fourteen a child was required to exercise such care as would be expected of other children of the same age, intelligence, experience and capacity, etc., and that if the jury believed from the greater weight of the evidence and under the instructions that plaintiff was seven years, one month and nine days old, then it was the duty of plaintiff to exercise such degree of care, etc. Counsel for defendants, in support of their objection to this instruction say: “To base the standard of care on what would be expected of other children of like age, etc., is completely misleading. . . . The real standard is based on what they should do.” We think there is no merit in the objection made, as stated. The jury were fully instructed, the issue was simple, and we think the jury were in no way misled.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
26 N.E.2d 722, 304 Ill. App. 422, 1940 Ill. App. LEXIS 972, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/popadowski-v-bergaman-illappct-1940.