Russell v. Twiss

194 N.W. 977, 224 Mich. 532, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 961
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 1, 1923
DocketDocket No. 27
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 194 N.W. 977 (Russell v. Twiss) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Russell v. Twiss, 194 N.W. 977, 224 Mich. 532, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 961 (Mich. 1923).

Opinion

Moore, J.

The plaintiff obtained a judgment of $1,500 against defendant for injuries to his Cadillac automobile, growing out of a collision with a Ford automobile owned by the defendant. The case is brought into this court by writ of error. The trial judge directed a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, leaving to the jury to fix the damages. He also directed the jury that defendant could not recover against the plaintiff in a cross action he had filed against the plaintiff. There is no claim that, if there was to be a judgment, the amount thereof is excessive.

[533]*533The pivotal question is, Did the trial judge err in directing a verdict for the plaintiff? There is less conflict in the testimony than usually occurs in contested accident cases. In September, 1920,.the plaintiff and his wife, and Mr. Charles Toms and his wife, were riding in a Cadillac car from Lansing on the way to Jackson. Mr. Toms was driving the car. He was an experienced driver, though he had not driven a Cadillac car very long. The day was fine. The road was wide and was very good, and was straight for a long distance. The automobile of the plaintiff was going south. The defendant was going north and had occasion to turn to the left and pass a motorcycle with a basket attached, which was stopped at the side of the highway for some adjustment. After doing so the defendant directed his car to the right side of the highway, but got so far over that he was afraid he would run- into the ditch at the side of the road. In his effort to avoid doing this he directed his car to the left and evidently lost control of it for it ran diagonally across the traveled part of the road and struck the automobile of the plaintiff, with disastrous effect to the automobiles, and to the occupants of the Ford car. The Cadillac car at this time was at the extreme right-hand side of the road and its speed had been diminished to about 10 miles an hour.

The defendant in his cross-examination testified in part as follows:

“I was in the road headed north there; that was before I met the motorcycle that I first saw the Cadillac car. Possibly 250 feet or more south of the motorcycle. The Cadillac was south of the corners, more than half way down, I would think. I remember now; I saw the motorcycle first and I was on the right-hand side of the road, going north. I noticed it standing still. When I got up near the motorcycle and when I got about 200 feet from it, I saw the Cadillac car approaching; then I became conscious of [534]*534the fact that I was meeting the Cadillac car and also obliged to pass the motorcycle which was standing still and that it would take place at about the same point. I don’t think I was confused at first. I started to pass the motorcycle, I would say, within a hundred feet of it. I was then somewhere near the center of the highway. I cannot remember that I went over west of the center.
“Q. But at any rate, at that point you saw the Cadillac approaching?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And how do you explain the fact that with a clear vision up there for half or three-quarters of a mile that you had not seen the Cadillac before?
“A. I don’t know; I might have seen it, but I don’t remember that I did.
“Q. What explanation have you got, if you have any, for not having seen it all the way up that incline?
“A. I don’t know unless I might have been paying attention to my own car. I didn’t see it away up the road.
“Q. Then, after you observed that coming as it appeared to you, straight towards you, you made an effort to get out of the road over on your right-hand side?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Do you think that the fact that you looked up and saw the Cadillac car approaching some two or three hundred feet away in a straight line inside of the highway, do you think that these facts all tended to confuse your mind?
“A. It might have startled me some, and then to get out of the way, I undertook to get over on the right side of the road.
“Q. To turn your car over on the right side of the road, what did you do?
“A. I turned the steering wheel so that it would turn that way.
“Q. There wasn’t any way to get your car over there except by operating the steering wheel ?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. And in all of these movements of the car back and forth across the road, it went under your control of the steering gear?
“A. Yes, sir. There wasn’t anything about the machine that gave way that I know of.
[535]*535“Q. But the fact that it went back and forth across the highway was due to the fact that you operated the steering gear and propelled it in that direction?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. The fact that it was on the wrong side of the road when this collision occurred was due to the fact that you put it over there by operating the steering wheel, is that right?
“A. I think so.
“Q. Now, when you got around the motorcycle and saw the Cadillac approaching and you tried to get over on your side of the road, you ran up almost into the ditch on the east side of the road?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Well, as you look at it now, don’t you think that you pulled the steering gear a little too far around and threw the car over to the ditch too far?
“A. Yes, it would seem that way, yes, sir.
“Q. And when you discovered you had done it, you suddenly pulled the steering wheel the other way.
“A. Yes, sir, tried to straighten—
“Q. As you look at it now, you conclude that you pulled it too far?
“A. Yes, sir. The car shot clear over to the left side of the road; I don’t think I did anything else with any of the other operating apparatus of the car except to move the steering wheel. I did not have an emergency brake; there is only one brake on the Ford and that is the foot brake. I don’t think I used them. I thought I had room to get by. At the rate of speed I. was driving when I went around that motorcycle, I could have stopped my car by operating the brake, within 50 feet I think. I think I diagonalled across that road for 60 feet or more.
“Q. If you had put your foot on that brake at the rate of speed you were going you would have stopped that car within 10 feet from the time it struck that Cadillac, wouldn’t you?
“A. No, I don’t think so.
“Q. Now then, if you had applied the brake over when you were nearer the ditch, you would have stopped the car within 10 feet before it struck the Cadillac wouldn’t you?

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213 N.W. 90 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1927)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 N.W. 977, 224 Mich. 532, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 961, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/russell-v-twiss-mich-1923.