Sproles Motor Freight Lines, Inc. v. Juge

123 S.W.2d 919
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 18, 1938
DocketNo. 13828.
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 123 S.W.2d 919 (Sproles Motor Freight Lines, Inc. v. Juge) 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
Sproles Motor Freight Lines, Inc. v. Juge, 123 S.W.2d 919 (Tex. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

SPEER, Justice.

Julia Maud Juge instituted this suit in one of the district courts of Tarrant County against Roy Davis and Sproles Motor Freight Lines, Inc., for damages growing out of an injury sustained by her when Davis, the agent and driver of one of his co-defendant’s trucks, backed a truck adjacent to a sidewalk and caught plaintiff’s arm between the truck and a utility pole, breaking her arm.

The parties will carry the designation of plaintiff and defendants, respectively, except when it becomes necessary to discuss particular acts of the respective defendants, and then they will be referred to by name.

Plaintiff alleges that immediately prior to the time she was injured, she was standing on the sidewalk in the downtown district of the City of Fort Worth, at the usual and customary place used by pedestrians waiting to catch a passenger 'bus, to go home. That Davis, the driver of the truck, backed it to the sidewalk to unload merchandise, and, in d’oing so, was negligent in the following particulars: (a) In failing to keep a lookout for plaintiff and others situated as she was; (b) in failing to give a signal of any kind, indicating his intention to so back the truck to that position; (c) in failing to keep and maintain some other person at or near the rear of the truck, to give warning to those in danger; (d) in violating certain ordinances of the City of Fort Worth, with reference to backing vehicles on and along the streets; and (e) in backing the truck at an angle to the curb so that the rear end of the body of the truck would project over and onto the sidewalk where plaintiff and other pedestrians were and had a right to be.

Allegations were made of the resultant injury to plaintiff, its permanency, her reasonable and necessary expenses incurred, her loss of time and earnings, pain and suffering.

The defendants answered with general denials and allegations of contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff, proximately causing her injuries.

*921 The case was tried to a jury on special issues, all of which were answered favorably to plaintiff, and judgment was entered accordingly. New trial was denied, and this appeal was perfected by the defendants.

Error is assigned, challenging the manner in which the issue of unavoidable accident was submitted; in permitting the introduction in evidence of á statement made by Davis two days after the accident; misconduct of the jury in discussing during their deliberation the probability of plaintiff having to pay a portion of the amount awarded as attorneys’ fees; because the verdict and judgment were excessive and not supported by the testimony; and because the court improperly submitted by special issue the measure of damages.

The first assignment of error raises the much debated issue on “unavoidable accident”. Many have been the comments and criticisms of the manner in which courts have sought to have juries determine that inquiry. The difference of opinions among trial lawyers on the subject is no more confusing than those expressed by the appellate courts. All agree that a definition of unavoidable accident should be given, substantially, to the effect that the incident complained of was an event which occurred without the negligence of either the plaintiff or defendant. It is equally well settled that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the event complained of was not the result of an unavoidable accident. By the inquiry in form of a special issue, the court seeks to ascertain from the jury whether plaintiff has established by a preponderance of the evidence that the incident or event claimed to have caused his damages was not an unavoidable accident. If the issue is raised by the evidence, the plaintiff must show by a preponderance of the evidence that it was not the result of an unavoidable accident; otherwise, he cannot recover.

Article 2190, R.C.S., Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 2190, requires the court to submit all issues made by the pleadings and evidence. In cases such as this, where plaintiff’s action is based upon negligence of the defendant, and defendant relies upon the contributory negligence of the plaintiff, and both the offensive and defensive matters are properly submitted to the jury, it is sometimes difficult to see how the issue of unavoidable accident could become material; for, as we have seen, that condition arises only when the event is the result of an act not caused by the negligence of either party. However, our courts have held that the general denial by defendant puts in issue the matter of unavoidable accident (Colorado & S. R. Co. v. Rowe, Tex.Com.App., 238 S.W. 908) and, under this rule, if the evidence raises the point, it must be submitted to the jury. Here, we have the plaintiff with an indisputable injury. To recover against the defendants for her damages, she must procure a jury finding that they proximately resulted from the negligent acts of defendants, and further, that her injuries did not result from an unavoidable accident, i. e., one that was not the result of negligence upon the part of either party.

In Speer’s Special Issues, sect. 137, decisions by the courts of this State are cited, supporting the rule that where the issue of unavoidable accident is raised by the evidence, the issue should be. submitted to the jury, even though it is comprehended in the major issue of defendant’s negligence. It is there said, in effect, that it is a part of plaintiff’s case to show that there was no unavoidable accident. To establish this negative by an affirmative answer, and its converse by a negative answer, has brought about the confusion among litigants, as well as the courts.

In the instant case, special issue No. 16 reads: “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the accident in question was not an unavoidable accident, as that term is herein defined? Your answer to this question will be either: (a) ‘It was not an unavoidable accident’, or (b) ‘It was an unavoidable accident.’ ” The answer made by the jury was: “It was not an unavoidable accident.”

The objections made to the issue before its submission, as well as those raised in the motion for new trial, were, in substance, that the issue and its alternative answers proposed fail to place the burden of proof upon the plaintiff, to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the accident was not the result of an unavoidable accident; and, further, that if the jury should find the evidence' was evenly balanced, it would not be authorized to find from a preponderance of the evidence that the accident was not the result of an *922 unavoidable accident; that, as framed, the issue required the defendant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the accident was unavoidable.

The cases of McClelland v. Mounger, Tex.Civ.App., 107 S.W.2d 901, writ dismissed; S. Blickman, Inc. v. Chilton, Tex.Civ.App., 114 S.W.2d 646; and Fidelity & Casualty Co. v. Van Arsdale, Tex.Civ.App., 108 S.W.2d 550, writ dismissed, support the contentions of appellants. While cases of Three States Tel. Co. v. Kirk-wood, Tex.Civ.App., 61 S.W.2d 568; City of Beaumont v.

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123 S.W.2d 919, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sproles-motor-freight-lines-inc-v-juge-texapp-1938.