Quisenberry v. Gulf Production Co.

63 S.W.2d 248, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 1079
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 9, 1933
DocketNo. 1131
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 63 S.W.2d 248 (Quisenberry v. Gulf Production Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Quisenberry v. Gulf Production Co., 63 S.W.2d 248, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 1079 (Tex. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

HICKMAN, Chief Justice.

Chester Quisenberry, a minor, brought this suit through his father, L. E. Quisenberry, as next friend, against the Gulf Production Company for damages sustained by the minor while playing upon a frame insecurely placed on a tubing rack, which rack and frame, it was alleged, constituted together an inherently dangerous instrumentality attractive to children of immature years. Upon the-conclusion of appellant’s evidence, the trial court sustained a motion of appellee for a peremptory instruction, and upon the verdict returned in obedience to such instruction judgment was rendered that appellant take nothing. From that 'judgment this appeal is prosecuted.

[249]*249In determining the question of whether appellant’s evidence raised material issues of fact which should have been submitted to the jury, it is our duty to consider the evidence in the light most favorable to him, and our statement will be understood in that light.

The accident occurred in June, 1927, at or near a camp maintained by appellee for its employees on the Ward lease in Stephens county. Appellant’s father went to work for the appellee in 1920, and continued as its employee until in July, 1926. On August 23, 1926, he was re-employed by the company, and, together with his family, moved into a house located in what is commonly called an oil camp. There were several houses in this group situated near each other, with no fences separating them. In the vicinity of these houses, and about 100 yards from the house occupied by the Quisenberrys at the time of the accident, there was a rack about 3½ feet high and 14 feet long, used primarily as a place on which to keep tubing and rods, upon which rack was stored a frame used on trucks and trailers for hauling tanks of oil. This frame was about the width of a truck bed and was longer than the rack. It was constructed of 2x6 lumber and iron rods and strips. Its estimated weight was from 600 to 800 pounds. It was not resting securely upon the rack, but was placed diagonally across it in such manner that it would rock when a child got upon it. On the day of the accident, Chester, who was then five years old, and his cousin, Hoy Brown, six or seven years old, climbed upon this rack and frame to play. They got on the frame and began to rock it, and, as it overturned, Chester struck the ground .first, and the frame fell upon his head, inflicting the injuries for which damages are sought. There was no inclosure about any of the premises, except the landowner’s pasture fence, which inclosed the large tract of land on which the camp was located. There is some conflict in the evidence as to the immediate occasion of the boys’ being at this rack. L. E. Quisenberry, the father, testified that a short time before the accident he discovered the boys playing in an old cellar some distance beyond the rack from the house, and directed them to- go back home. He went on about his work as a pumper on a well a mile or more distant, and did not observe the boys to obey his command. Q. P. Quisenberry, an older brother of Chester’s, testified that his mother sent him to the site of this old cellar to tell the boys to come to supper, and that, in going home, the boys, who were about 100 yards ahead of him, climbed upon this rack, and the accident occurred just as he arrived on the spot. Chester did not testify, but the boy who was with him, Hoy Brown, denied that the father had commanded them to leave the cellar, denied that Q. P. found them there and told them to come to supper, said that it was not supper time, and they were not on their way to supper, but that they were out searching for a good place to play, and found this rack and frame, which was convenient to climb upon, and got on it to play. In so far as this evidence conflicts, we must consider it in the light most favorable to appellant.

There was evidence that children had played around this frame, with the knowledge of the “gang-pusher,” who was in charge of the premises, prior to the time of this accident, but no evidence that any children had theretofore played on this frame or rack. Appellant’s father knew of the unsafe position of this frame upon the rack, and notified the gang pusher of the fact more than once. The frame was so heavy that he himself could not move it over on the rack and make it secure. It was his duty, when he discovered an unsafe condition which he himself could not remedy, to notify the gang pusher. A short time before the accident, Quisen-berry moved his family from one of the houses farther away from the rack to the house nearest it, and within about 100 yards thereof.

We find it unnecessary to detail the pleadings of the parties, since no question as to the sufficiency thereof is involved. It is sufficient for the purposes of this opinion to state that negligence was charged to the ap-pellee in maintaining the condition above described when it knew that children lived in that vicinity and played about the premises, and because of their nature and habits they would probably be attracted to play seesaw on this frame and be injured thereby. Liability is sought fo be predicated upon the doctrine known as the doctrine of the turntable cases. Because of the peculiar nature of that doctrine and the consequent lack of well recognized rules governing its application to a given state of facts, we have made an. extended study of the authorities and decisions from this and many other states in our consideration of this record, but we are convinced that it would be useless to review the cases and impossible to harmonize them. We cannot take issue with the learned author of an exhaustive case note in 36 A. L. R. pages 34 to 294, wherein he states on page 100: “The attractive-nuisance doctrine has had a somewhat checkered existence in Texas, as in some other states.” However, we believe it may be said that there are no real conflicts in the holdings of our Supreme Court on the question. Some of the later holdings modify the language employed in the earlier eases; the effect of the modifications being to extend the doctrine rather than to restrict it. We are convinced that limitations on the broad doctrine are to be carefully observed to keep it within proper bounds. But, when the recognized limita[250]*250tions are observed, there is no sound reason for denying or unduly restricting its application.

In 36 A. L. R. page 294, five cardinal rules are deduced for determining the applicability of the doctrine to a given state of facts. These rules constitute the best summary of the law which we have found. They recognize the proper basis for the application of the doctrine, while, at the same time, they observe the established limitations upon its application. They are as follows:

“First. That the • injured child was too young to understand and avoid the danger.
“Second. That there was reason to anticipate the presence of such children, either because of some attraction on the premises, or because, the danger was in some place where children had a right to be.
“Third. That there was a strong likelihood of accident.
“Fourth. That the danger was one other than those ordinarily encountered.
“Fifth. That the precautions not taken were such as a reasonably prudent person would have taken under the circumstances.”

The facts of the instant case fulfill evei? requirement of these five rules: First, the child was five years of age.' There was presented, at least, a jury question as to whether such child was too young to understand the danger.

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Bluebook (online)
63 S.W.2d 248, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 1079, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/quisenberry-v-gulf-production-co-texapp-1933.