Roberts v. Eason

6 La. App. 703, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 226
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 13, 1927
DocketNo. 2967
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 6 La. App. 703 (Roberts v. Eason) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roberts v. Eason, 6 La. App. 703, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 226 (La. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

REYNOLDS, J.

These two suits were consolidated for thé purpose of trial and only one judgment, which, however, disposed of all the issues presented in both cases, was signed.

In suit No. 2968 L. S. Roberts claimed damages for himself in the sum of $850.75 and for the use and benefit of his minor son, Maurice Roberts, damages in the sum of $1500.00.

[705]*705In suit No. 2967 Mrs. Barbara Roberts, the wife of L. £. Roberts, claimed damages in the sum of $7500.00

The damages claimed were for injuries alleged to have been received by Mr. Roberts and by Mrs. Roberts and by. their minor son, Maurice Roberts, in a collision between an automobile in which they were riding and which was being driven by L. S. Roberts and a truck belonging to. Frank C. Eason that was parked in one of the public streets of the city of Monroe, Louisiana, near what is known as “Lovers Lane.”

Plaintiffs alleged that the truck remained parked in the public street in violation of a city ordinance for a day and part of two nights and that there were no lights on it at night to warn passing vehicles of its presence. They also allego that they wore ignorant of the presence of the truck in the street.

Defendant denied liability and alleged that he had placed a lighted lantern on the truck and that collision was caused by negligent driving on the part of the person who was driving the car in which plaintiffs were riding. He also alleged that he had vainly tried to move the truck out of the street by its own motive power before the accident.

On these issues the case was tried and there was judgment rejecting the demands of L. S. Roberts on his own behalf and rejecting the demands of Mrs. Roberts and awarding judgment in favor of L. g. Roberts for the use and benefit of his minor son, Maurice Roberts, in the sum of $750.00 with legal interest thereon from judicial demand. The costs of the consolidated cases were adjudged one-half against L. S. Roberts and Mrs. Barbara Roberts and one-half against the defendant.

Both plaintiffs and defendant appealed.

' Plaintiff L. S. Roberts, for 'the use and benefit of his minor son, Maurice, answered the appeal and asked that the judgment in favor of his minor son, Mauri'ce Roberts, be increased from $750.00 to $1500.00.

The defendant filed in this court a motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ appeals on the ground that the rendering and signing of one judgment for both cases by the trial court was illegal and also because the trial court had refused, on his application, to render and sign a separate judgment in each case.

ON MOTION TO DISMISS

Defendant asks that the appeals of L. S. Roberts and Mrs. Barbara Roberts be dismissed for the reasons that only one judgment covering both cases was rendered and signed and because the District Judge refused • to render and sign a separate judgment in each case.

The two cases were consolidated for purposes of trial and the trial judge, in his discretion, rendered and signed only one judgment in which he disposed of all .the . issues involved in both cases.

The demands of Mrs. Barbara Roberts having been rejected and the demands of L. S. Roberts in his own behalf having been rejected also they are clearly entitled to appeal. The Constitution favors the right of appeal.

The demands of the plaintiffs having been regularly adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction and a judgment rendered and signed they have a right of appeal therefrom and their only remedy is by appeal.

The motion to dismiss is overruled.

[706]*706ON THE MERITS

The facts of these cases are simple and practically all agreed, to by both plaintiffs and defendant; the only question in dispute being whether at the time of the collision there was a lighted lantern or other light on defendant’s truck, on which point the evidence is conflicting. The trial judge who heard the witnesses testify and observed their manner on the witness stand held that there was no light on the truck at the time of the accident. After carefully reading all of the evidence we are convinced that his finding oh this point is correct. And it therefore follows from all of the evidence detailing the facts and circumstances connected with the collision that the defendant is responsible for the injuries sustained by the occupants of plaintiff’s car that were not guilty of contributory negligence.

Plaintiffs’ son, Maurice Roberts, was of tender age, apparently not over four or five years old, and it is not contended by defendant that he was guilty of con'tributory negligence. Therefore the judgment of the lower court awarding him $750.00 damages is correct.

The evidence shows that he received painful injuries..

Doctor J. Q. Graves testified:

(Testimony, page 6.)

“Q. Now what were the character of the wounds and suffering of the child Maurice Roberts, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts?
“A. Maurice, the little boy, you have reference to?
“Q. Yes.
“A. Had two wounds on his head along the margin of the hair line, just to the right of the center, one of the wounds. One was about where the midline, or to the left of the .midline, about an inch and a half in length, continued down to and including the periosteum. The other was along the margin of the hair line in the right temple. And then he had smaller wounds of lesser importance caused by flying glass in his face and chest; and also a contusion or depression of tire nose. For the nose I called Dr. Perot. I didn’t take charge of that on account of the fact—
“Q. Doctor Perot specialized in the nose?
“A. Eye, ear, nose and throat, yes, and I referred the nose to Doctor Perot.” (Testimony, page 7.)
“Q. Doctor, this little boy — these scars • — they are not permanent in their nature, are they?
“A. Well, yes; they will always remain there.
■ “Q. Isn’t it true that in a very youthful person, such as this little boy, whom I judge to be about five or six years old, a scar of this nature will heal over and gradually disappear?
“A. They will grow smaller; have a eontractural power; but never disappear entirely.
“Q. The scars on this boy’s, head are under the hair?
“A. On the left of the midline it is, but the other is just below the margin of the hair.
“Q. It is true eventually these scars will go away ?
“A. Not altogether; they will grow smaller; they will not disappear entirely.”

Doctor P. L. Perot testified.

(Testimony, page 13.)

“Q. State to the court, Doctor, what, if anything, was the matter with this child’s nose? What trouble you found, if any?
“A. He had a fracture of the left nasal bone, being depressed or sunken; and an elevation of the right nasal bone, projecting upward and outward about an eighth or quarter of an inch. The air passage of the left side of the nose was practically obstructed.
“Q.

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Bluebook (online)
6 La. App. 703, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 226, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roberts-v-eason-lactapp-1927.