Schultz v. Starr

180 Iowa 1319
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedSeptember 24, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 180 Iowa 1319 (Schultz v. Starr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schultz v. Starr, 180 Iowa 1319 (iowa 1917).

Opinion

Stevens, J.

This is an action for damages claimed to have resulted to plaintiff from a collision of his bicycle with the motor cycle of defendant. The accident occurred at the intersection of Kelly and Brantingham Streets in Charles City, Iowa. The negligence charged is that the defendant was, at the time, operating his motor cycle at a high and dangerous rate of speed, and in a careless, reckless and imprudent manner, and in excess of the speed limit prescribed by the ordinances of Charles City; and that he failed to have the same equipped with proper horn or bell, and to sound a signal or give warning of his approach. Plaintiff was riding a bicycle on Brantingham Street, going south, and he claims that, while in the exercise of due care upon his part, defendant ran his motor cycle into the bicycle, throwing plaintiff upon the ground in such a manner as to fracture his arm and to inflict severe and painful injuries upon the [1322]*1322muscles of his hip, on account of which he suffered and will continue to suffer great pain and loss of time, and that he has incurred Large expense for medical services.

The ordinances of Charles City were offered in evidence, and fix the maximum speed for motor cycles in said city at 15 miles per hour, and upon Main Street at 10 miles per hour. At the time of the accident, defendant was going-east on Kelly Street, approaching the intersection of said street with Brantingham Street. Plaintiff testified that, when he first observed the motor cycle approaching, it was a block and across one street from the intersection of Kelly and Brantingham Streets; that he attempted to cross said intersection at about 10 or 12 miles an hour; that defendant’s motor cycle was being operated at a rate of speed between 35 and 40 miles per hour; and that, when he reached a point about 45 feet west of plaintiff, he changed his course as he approached him, and then turned south to the curbing.

From the abstract of plaintiff’s testimony, we quote the following:

“He turned right south to the curbing, and when I saw that he turned that way toward the curbing, I aimed to see if I could make the turn and get in a little pocket there that would let him go by; but he got me. I did not have time. The collision was south of the course Starr had been traveling and east of the course that I had been traveling, and was 6 or 8 feet west of the southwest corner of the intersection.”

Plaintiff further claimed that the motor cycle gained speed as it approached him. This claim is borne out by the testimony of defendant. It further appears from the. evidence that a man was sitting on the gasoline tank in front of defendant on his motor cycle, with his feet hanging down and reaching within a few inches of the ground.

The defendant’s version of the accident, in substance, [1323]*1323■was that he was riding a Harley-Davidson motor cycle, going east on Kelly Street, 4 or 5 ieet from the south curbing at approximately 6 or 8 miles per hour; that plaintiff came down Brantingham Street at about the. same speed; that he hesitated on Kelly Street about 10 feet over the crossing; that at this time defendant was back 20 or 30' feet from the crossing; that, when plaintiff hesitated, he threw in his clutch to go ahead; that when he threw in the clutch the speed of the machine gradually increased; that plaintiff -swung his wheel around as if going east; that, in attempting to avoid the collision, the hind wheel of the bicycle was struck by the motor cycle, and the rim of the back wheel of the bicycle and some of the spokes were broken out, plaintiff was thrown upon the ground, and, the evidence shows, ’suffered a fracture of his wrist, and other painful injuries. Omitting many details, the above is a substantial statement of the respective claims of the parties.

This case has been twice tried in the court below. The first trial resulted in a verdict for plaintiff in the sum of $1, and the second in favor of the defendant. The record does not disclose the ground upon which a new trial was granted defendant after the first trial. Thirty-five alleged errors are' complained of by counsel for appellant, most of which relate to the admission or exclusion of evidence. Some complaint, however, is made of the instructions given to the jury by the court upon its own motion, of the refusal to give several requested instructions, and of misconduct upon the part of counsel for defendant in the examination and cross-examination of witnesses.

error1- ques-etc?? conflicteVKlenCe' The first errors complained of are that the verdict is contrary to the law and is not sustained by the evidence. The evidence is very conflicting. Both plaintiff and defendant attempted to sustain their respective theories of the collision and consequent injuries. We cannot say, however, [1324]*1324that the verdict is not sustained by the evidence, and there is nothing to show that it was the result of passion or prejudice on the part of the jury. The evidence was in Conflict, and it has often been held by this court that a verdict rendered on conflicting evidence is conclusive on appeal. Mitchell v. Chicago, R. I. & Pac. R. Co., 138 Iowa 283; Kopecky v. Benish, 138 Iowa 362; Knapp v. Brotherhood of American Yeoman, 149 Iowa 137; Rockwell v. Ketchum, 149 Iowa 507; Bank of Latham v. Milligan, 140 Iowa 251.

2‘ Sections1: exceptions :an3 waivci. II.No exceptions were taken to the court’s instructions' as required by Section 3705-a of the Supplement to the Code, 1913, and they cannot be reviewed by this court. Rule v. Carey, 178 Iowa 184; Hanson v. City of Anamosa, 177 Iowa 101.

3. trial : inwisotScoverea III. Proper exceptions were preserved to the refusal of the court to give certain requested instructions. Plaintiff requested the court to instruct the jury that the operation of a motor cycle upon the street in question at a greater rate of speed than 15 miles per hour would constitute negligence. The instruction was refused, but the court instructed the jury that, if it found that at the time of the injury the defendant was operating his motor cycle at a rate of speed in excess of that permitted by the city ordinance, same would constitute negligence. We think the instruction given by the court sufficiently covered the point, and that the refusal to give the requested instruction was not error. It will be presumed that the jury followed the evidence.

4. Negligence : proximate cause: when perI1f|nis immaterial. IV. Plaintiff sought to show in evidence that the motor cycle of defendant was not properly equipped with horn, bell or other signaling device, and that no signal was given of his approach, preceding the collision. The [1325]*1325court sustained the objection of defendant to this testimony, and refused to give Instruction No. 2, requested by plaintiff, to the effect that it was the duty of defendant to have his motor cycle equipped with a suitable bell, horn or other device for signaling, and to use the same upon approaching an intersection or crossroad, and that the failure to have the same so equipped therewith or to use the same would constitute negligence.

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