Schaller v. Chapman

66 N.E.2d 266, 44 Ohio Law. Abs. 631
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 24, 1943
DocketNo. 3551
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 66 N.E.2d 266 (Schaller v. Chapman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schaller v. Chapman, 66 N.E.2d 266, 44 Ohio Law. Abs. 631 (Ohio Ct. App. 1943).

Opinions

OPINION

By BARNES, P. J.

The above-entitled cause is now being determined as an error proceeding by reason of plaintiff’s appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Municipal Court of Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.

The action is one for property damage in an automobile collision at street intersections within the city of Columbus, Ohio. Plaintiff claimed damages in the sum of $150.00. Defendant filed several answers, but through sustained motions, amendments were filed and the case was finally tried on an answer and cross-petition. Defendant’s answer denied liaability and the cross-petition sought damages against the plaintiff.

[633]*633The case came on for trial before a Judge of the Municipal Court and a jury, and resulted in a verdict finding against the right of either party to recover. Within statutory time plaintiff filed motion for new trial which was overruled and judgment entered upon the verdict. The case was lodged in our Court by plaintiff through the filing of notice of appeal.

Plaintiff-appellant sets out ten separately stated and numbered assignments of error. Appellant’s brief takes up and discusses these various assignments in order. It is rather unusual that appellant’s brief fails to cite a single authority. Each assignment is argued as though it was an original question.

In the interest of saving space and time we think that the questions will be rendered understandable if we discuss and determine the various assignments of errors in the same order as set out in appellant’s brief.

Under the first assignment of error complaint is made that the trial court erroneously sustained a motion of the defendant-appellee for an order bringing the General Exchange Insurance Corporation in as a party defendant, and on failure so to do that plaintiff’s action would be dismissed without prejudice..

The predicate for this motion arose through plaintiff answering certain interrogatories propounded by defendant to the effect that the plaintiff’s damages over and above fifty dollars had been paid to plaintiff by the General Exchange Insurance Corporation.

Counsel for appellant in their brief admit that the Court had the right to have the General Exchange Insurance Corporation made a party defendant, but complains as to that part of the order wherein it was stated that failure so to do would be grounds for dismissal of plaintiff’s petition.

Under such situation the ususal and more preferable procedure would be for the defendant to ask that the insurance corporation be made party defendant and required to answer, setting up its claim arising through subrogation. We find no prejudicial error under this first assignment since the Insurance corporation did file an answer and plaintiff’s petition was not dismissed. Any irregularity in the order would not be prejudicial.

Under the second assignment of error appellant complains that the Court was in error and abused his discretion in permitting the defendant-appellee’s witness, Donald Cline, to remain in the court room and to be seated at the defendantappellee’s counsel table during the trial of the case and to [634]*634later testify in the case after counsel for plaintiff had requested and the trial court had granted a separation of witnesses.

An examination of ,the bill of exceptions discloses that the witness Cline was the driver of the truck involved in the accident, and at the time of the accident was operating the same for the defendant and in the course of his employment. The defendant was not present in court. Counsel for defendant asked that he have the privilege of selecting the witness Cline to be seated at the table with him during the course of the trial.

We do not think the Court erred in granting the request. Each member of our Court before becoming a Judge of the Court of Appeals had been Judge of a Common Pleas Court. It was our universal practice under similar conditions to permit either plaintiff or defendant to select some person whom he desired to sit with him at the counsel table, even though such selected person was not a party in interest and might subsequenty be called as a witness. We And no error under this second assignment.

The third and fourth assignments will be considered together. Under the third assignment it is complained that the Court erred in overruling plaintiff-appellant’s motion made at the conclusion of all the evidence for a directed verdict in his favor. In the fourth assignment it is argued that the Court erred in overruling plaintiff-appellant’s motion made at the conclusion of all the evidence for a directed verdict in favor of the plaintiff on the defendant-appellee’s cross-petition.

In substance' it is the claim of the plaintiff-appellant that under the evidence it was established that the defendant was guilty of negligence as a matter of law, and further that the plaintiff was free 'from negligence as a matter of law. Immediately before the collision at the street intersection plaintiff was traveling north on a duly dedicated highway, and the defendant’s truck was being operated in an easterly direction on a cross street. It, therefore, follows that the plaintiff had the preferential right in the intersection, providing he was operating his automobile in a lawful manner, since he, the plaintiff, was approaching the intersection from defendant’s right. Otherwise, neither vehicle had a preferential right at this intersection. The presumptive speed limit was 25 miles per hour. The approach from the west to 'the intersection was up a rather steep hill. At the southwest corner was a two-family house with a porch in front, and [635]*635located from ten to fifteen feet back from the sidewalk. The residence and porch were on a terrace some four feet higher than the sidewalk, and in front of the porch was a rather thick hedge of spiraea. All persons agreed that this situation constituted a blind approach until the occupants of the vehicle would get practically into the intersection.

The uncontraducited evidence, is that defendant’s truck was operated through the intersection, ahead of plaintiff’s automobile.

The collision occurred in the southeast quarter of the intersection. The front end of defendant’s truck was very close to the east side of the north and south street. Plaintiff’s automobile struck defendant’s truck back of the center, causing it to move in a general northeasterly direction, turning it completely around and finally overturning before it came to rest.

Plaintiff’s automobile remained in an upright position and stopped a short distance north of the point of collision.

The only eyewitnesses to the collision were the plaintiff, the driver of the truck, Cline, and a young girl by- the name of Neal. The testimony of this young girl, twelve years of age, has little, if any, probative force on the issuable questions.

On the question of speed it was the testimony of defendant that he was operating the truck at from twenty to twenty-five miles per hour, and plaintiff testified that he was operating at a speed not to exceed twenty-five miles per hour. Defendant testified that following the accident police officers arrived in a cruiser and interrogated both participants as to the speed of the car. Witness Cline says that plaintiff said to the officers that he was operating his car-at thirty miles per hour. This testimony of Cline was not denied by the plaintiff.

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Bluebook (online)
66 N.E.2d 266, 44 Ohio Law. Abs. 631, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schaller-v-chapman-ohioctapp-1943.