Sherman v. City of Springfield

222 N.E.2d 62, 77 Ill. App. 2d 195, 1966 Ill. App. LEXIS 1147
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 6, 1966
DocketGen. 10, 749
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 222 N.E.2d 62 (Sherman v. City of Springfield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sherman v. City of Springfield, 222 N.E.2d 62, 77 Ill. App. 2d 195, 1966 Ill. App. LEXIS 1147 (Ill. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

GOLDENHERSH, P. J.

Plaintiffs appeal from the judgment of the Circuit Court of Sangamon County, entered upon a jury verdict finding in favor of defendant, in plaintiffs’ suit for personal injuries and medical expenses.

Plaintiff, William F. Sherman, a minor, sues to recover damages for personal injuries suffered on June 26, 1964, while swimming in Lake Springfield, a lake owned and maintained by defendant, City of Springfield. Plaintiff, Robert Lee Sherman, is William’s father, and sues to recover for medical expenses incurred by reason of William’s injuries.

Plaintiffs complain of numerous errors committed during the trial. The alleged errors, and the evidence adduced by the parties, will be reviewed and discussed to the extent necessary to this opinion.

The evidence shows that the defendant owns a lake known as Lake Springfield. There is a beach and swimming area which is open to the public between Memorial Day and Labor Day. A fee is charged for admission to the beach area. On the east bank of this part of the lake, there is a sanded beach, where the defendant has constructed a beach house. The swimming area is separated from the rest of the lake by a bulkhead made of sheet steel pilings, which lies to the west of the beach. There are lifeguard stations on the sand beach, on a platform on the bulkhead, and near a safety rope which extends north and south through the swimming area.

When the lake and beach area were completed in 1935, a pipe was installed through which water could be pumped into the swimming area. This was used for a dual purpose, to maintain a proper level of water, and to chlorinate the water.

In January and February of 1964, employees of defendant pumped the water out of the swimming area, removed the old pipe, and installed a new one. The new pipe extended from a pump and chemical treatment room located on the south side of the lake, northwardly, for a distance of approximately 338 feet, and was constructed of pipe ranging from 8 inches to 3 inches in diameter. The pipe lengths were connected by means of mechanical joints, using gaskets, but no washers. The reduction connections were made with reducers. The 8-inch pipe was at the southerly end of the beach and the smallest pipe was at the north end. There are approximately 150 one-half inch holes drilled into the pipe, spaced 16 to 18 inches apart. Lee Nickelson, Chief Utilities Engineer for defendant, testified that the holes are needed in order to distribute the water and chlorine into the swimming area. The water and chlorine are pumped through the pipe by means of an impeller pump designed to pump 1,400,000 gallons per day.

Plaintiffs’ complaint charged 9 acts of negligence, all but one of which were stricken by the court at the close of the plaintiffs’ case. The charge of negligence upon which the case was submitted to the jury was that defendant “carelessly and negligently failed to install said pipe at sufficient depth to be safe for swimmers using said beach.”

On June 26, 1964, plaintiff, William F. Sherman, then 17 years of age, was visiting his grandparents in Springfield. He and his brother, Robert, age 15, went to the beach, paid the admission fee, changed to swimming trunks, and entered the water. They walked out to a safety rope which extends in a northerly and southerly direction, in an area where the water is approximately 3 feet deep. They swam in deeper water, plaintiff dived off the diving tower one time, after which the boys returned to the beach, stayed there awhile, and then decided to run into the shallow water as far as they could. After doing this several times, they decided to run out and dive into the water. Plaintiff dove at a point where he estimates the water to be about 3 feet deep. When he dove, his arms were extended above his head, and his head was “straight with his body.” His head hit something hard and solid, and he suffered injuries resulting in his being almost completely paralyzed.

James McKee, defendant’s employee, called by plaintiffs under section 60 of the Civil Practice Act, testified that he was in charge of the job when the new pipe was installed. The old pipe was removed with a backhoe. At the south end of the beach the pipe was laid in a ditch 3 feet deep, and as it moved northwardly it was shallower, ranging as low as 12 to 14 inches. Despite the pumping there was some water in the area and they were “in the blind somewhat,” and were unable to tell the exact depth of the ditch. The bottom of the ditch in which the pipe was laid was clay and mud, with an “inch or two of rock and gravel,” and as they dug the ditch, the sides of the sand would fall into the ditch.

Anthony Stockus, superintendent of parks and recreation for the defendant, called under section 60, testified that after the pipe was laid, a crew of men working under his supervision, covered the pipe, tamped the gravel to a depth of 4 to 8 inches, and then placed 4 to 6 inches of sand over the gravel. The pump was turned up and the water came up through the sand and gravel like boiling water. He next checked the cover over the pipe in the middle of May. He made this check, barefoot and wearing swimming trunks, by walking the pipe from north to south, and found the pipe to be working properly. He made no check of the depth of the cover.

Plaintiffs’ first complaint of error arises out of a ruling of the court during the testimony of Carter Jenkins, called by plaintiffs as an expert witness. Mr. Jenkins testified that he is a consulting engineer, with many years of experience in the fields of hydraulics, municipal improvements, water systems and recreational facilities. He identified an exhibit described as a topographic map plotted from a survey, to show the beach area, the elevations of the earth surface, the pool level, beach house, diving platform, and various other objects. The survey was made between August 17 and 21, 1964, and on September 1, 1964, at all of which times the beach was in operation. On each of the days on which the survey party worked, the pipe appeared to be functioning, and the water level appeared to be normal. The pipe was located by means of probing rods, and Mr. Jenkins stated that the pipe lay between the beach and the safety rope. The pipe is situated approximately 50 to 75 feet from the water’s edge, the distance varying with the curve of the shoreline of the beach, and the %-inch safety rope is located approximately 15 feet west of the pipe. The water is approximately 3 feet deep, with minor variations, both where the pipe is laid, and the rope installed. Mr. Jenkins described the manner in which the survey was made, and identified another exhibit, described as a drawing, showing the types and sizes of the pipe and reducers used in the lake installation.

Plaintiffs’ counsel then asked this question: “Now Mr. Jenkins, I wish to ask you, from your observation of the particular installation, do you have an opinion based upon your experience as to whether this was a proper installation?” Defendant’s objection thereto on the ground that “they have not stated all of the elements which are involved in the evidence up to now, as to the installation,” was first overruled, and after argument of counsel, sustained. Plaintiffs then propounded a lengthy, detailed hypothetical question, concluding: “Now, Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
222 N.E.2d 62, 77 Ill. App. 2d 195, 1966 Ill. App. LEXIS 1147, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sherman-v-city-of-springfield-illappct-1966.