Salcido v. Bates

436 S.W.2d 934, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2195
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 27, 1968
Docket377
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 436 S.W.2d 934 (Salcido v. Bates) 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
Salcido v. Bates, 436 S.W.2d 934, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2195 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

OPINION

SHARPE, Justice.

This appeal is from a take-nothing judgment rendered after jury trial against Melquíades G. Salcido, plaintiff below, in favor of Abernathy Bates, defendant below.

Salcido sued Bates to recover damages for personal injuries and property damage sustained as a result of an automobile collision which occurred on August 4, 1965 at about 8:30 p. m. Prior to the collision plaintiff-appellant Salcido was driving his Cadillac automobile generally in a northerly direction on U. S. Highway 181, just north of the city limits of Portland, San Patricio County, Texas, approaching an intersection with Railroad Avenue upon which appellee-defendant Bates was driving his Chrysler automobile in a generally westerly direction.

At the location in question U. S. Highway 181 is divided into two roadways, the easternmost for northbound and the westernmost for southbound traffic. The easternmost roadway, with which we are here primarily concerned, contains two traffic lanes, each twelve feet wide, and a paved shoulder on the east side which is eight feet wide. Railroad Avenue intersects the easternmost roadway of Highway 181 and runs generally east-west for a short distance and then turns so as to run generally north-south almost parallel to Highway 181. There is a “Yield right of way sign” located on the north side of Railroad Avenue facing eastward, for the purpose of controlling traffic on Railroad Avenue as it enters onto Highway 181. This sign is located at a distance of about twenty feet from the east paved shoulder of Highway 181, twenty-eight feet from the outside line of the east lane thereof, forty feet from the dividing line between the two northbound traffic lanes, and fifty-two feet from the outside line of the west traffic lane on said northbound roadway. The collision in question occurred when Bates, after passing the “Yield right of way sign”, attempted to cross U. S. Highway 181 in front of Salcido’s vehicle. The left front portion of Salcido’s vehicle struck the left rear side of Bates’ vehicle.

In answer to special issues, the jury found in substance that Bates was'guilty of negligence proximately causing the collision in failing to keep a proper lookout, in failing to make proper application of his brakes and in failing to yield the right of way to Salcido. Such findings against Bates are not questioned on this appeal.

In answer to special issues 8 and 9 the jury found that Salcido failed to keep a proper lookout on the occasion in question which was a proximate cause of the accident; and in answer to special issues 13 and 14, the jury found that Salcido failed to make such application of his brakes as would have been made by a person of ordinary prudence in the exercise of ordinary care under the same or similar circumstances which was a proximate cause of the collision. The jury also found that Salcido failed to turn his car to the right prior to the collision, but that such failure was not negligence; and further refused to find that Salcido operated his automobile while under the influence of intoxicating beverages, and found that the collision was not the result of an unavoidable accident. The damage issues submitted to the jury were answered in an aggregate amount of *936 $8,700.00, and it was stipulated that Salcido suffered additional damages to his automobile in the amount of $612.10.

Salcido’s recovery against Bates was prevented only because of the jury findings on special issues numbers 8, 9, 13 and 14. Salcido made proper objections to the submission of such issues, filed motion for judgment non obstante veredicto and to disregard such jury findings, and also timely filed motion for new trial, all of which were overruled by the trial court.

By sixteen points of error Salcido asserts two basic contentions relating to issues 8, 9, 13 and 14, in substance that (1) there is no evidence to support submission of such issues or the jury answers thereto, and the same should have been disregarded in accordance with his motion for such relief, and (2) the evidence is factually insufficient to support the jury answers to such issues, that is, the evidence is too weak to support affirmative findings against Salcido on such issues and that such answers are against the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence so as to be manifestly wrong and unjust.

We overrule appellant’s points that the evidence is legally insufficient to support the jury answers to issues 8, 9, 13 and 14. See Lynch v. Ricketts, 158 Tex. 487, 314 S.W.2d 273 (1958); McWilliams v. Muse, 157 Tex. 109, 300 S.W.2d 643 (1957). We also overrule appellant’s points that the evidence is factually insufficient to support the answers to issues 8 and 13. However, we sustain appellant’s points that the evidence is factually insufficient to support the jury answers to issues 9 and 14. Otherwise stated, we hold that the evidence was factually insufficient to support the jury answers on issues 9 and 14 that the negligence of Salcido, in the respects mentioned, constituted a proximate cause of the collision in question, for the reasons to be hereafter stated.

The only eye witnesses to the accident who testified in the case were plaintiff Salcido, defendant Abernathy Bates and his wife Juanice Bates. Other witnesses who came to the scene shortly after the collision were as follows: David D. Wheeler, a professional photographer, who took pictures of the scene of the accident on the evening in question; Rayford R. L. Brown and A. W. Fleniken, State Highway Patrolmen who investigated the accident; George L. Warren, an ambulance driver of Portland, Texas, who took Salci-do, Mr. and Mrs. Bates and their daughter to a hospital in Corpus Christi; Luther E. Duckworth, Constable of Precinct 4, San Patricio County, Texas; and Ed Altman, a policeman of Portland, Texas. Wheeler, Brown and Fleniken were originally called as witnesses for plaintiff Salcido. Warren, Duckworth and Altman were originally called as witnesses for defendant Bates. Salcido also called as a witness Mr. John Bentley, an accident consultant, of Corpus Christi, Texas, who testified at length in connection with reconstruction of the accident.

Salcido testified in substance that as he approached the intersection where the accident occurred he saw the Bates automobile as it approached the yield right of way sign; that the Bates car slowed its speed; that it did not stop at the yield sign; that it proceeded to the edge of the highway and then into the highway in front of Sal-cido’s car. Salcido further testified that he was travelling in the west lane at a speed of about 50 miles per hour (in a 60 miles per hour speed zone) as he approached the point where the collision occurred; that he thought the other car was going to stop, but instead it “slowed down and he took off and got on the highway. In other words he blocked my highway.” Salcido said he put his brakes on when the other car was on the edge of the highway; that the other car got up to the shoulder of the highway and then speeded up.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Bates testified that their car completely stopped at the “yield” sign facing Railroad Avenue with the signpost of same at about mid point of their car; that they saw no traffic coming from *937 either direction and started forward on to the highway; that Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
436 S.W.2d 934, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2195, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/salcido-v-bates-texapp-1968.