State Ex Rel. Smith v. Weinstein

398 S.W.2d 41, 1965 Mo. App. LEXIS 501
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 21, 1965
Docket32051
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 398 S.W.2d 41 (State Ex Rel. Smith v. Weinstein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Smith v. Weinstein, 398 S.W.2d 41, 1965 Mo. App. LEXIS 501 (Mo. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

ANDERSON, Judge.

This is a proceeding in prohibition, the object of which is to prevent the Judge of Division No. 3 of the Circuit Court of St. Louis County from proceeding against Relator in Cause No. 2S7018 in said Court, and forcing her to defend the actions stated therein against her, because other parties are improperly joined as defendants in a separate count of the petition. The grounds for the relief sought in this prohibition proceeding is that there is not asserted against Relator and the other named defendants, jointly, severally, or in the alternative any right to relief arising out of the same transaction, occurrences or series of transactions and occurrences, in which common questions of law or fact will arise. Relator relies upon Civil Rule 52.05 as forbidding such joinder. In the trial court Wilma N. Smith, Relator herein, filed a motion in which Relator in the alternative prayed for a dismissal of the action or for an order for separate trials of the séparate counts of the petition. This motion was by the court overruled. The petition for prohibition was then presented to this court. Our preliminary writ was thereafter issued to which Respondent in due time made return. Relator then filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings. *42 The facts upon which our determination of the matter before us rests are to be found in the petition attached to the application addressed to our court.

The petition was in two counts. Count I was directed solely against Relator Wilma N. Smith. In substance it was alleged that on October 31, 1963, plaintiff Albert E. Krassinger was operating his motor vehicle northwardly on U. S. Highway 61-67 near Baumgartner Road when it collided with an automobile being operated south-wardly on said highway by defendant Wilma N. Smith; that as a result of said collision plaintiff was seriously injured; that the collision was due to the negligence of Wilma N. Smith.

It was further alleged that by reason of his injuries, plaintiff was in need of medical attention and emergency transportation to a hospital, and for that purpose obtained the services of Leroy Beck d/b/a Beck Ambulance Service and James Cook, the driver of an ambulance belonging to Leroy Beck; that as a result of the negligence of defendant Wilma N. Smith and the concurrent negligence of defendants Leroy Beck d/b/a Beck Ambulance Service, James Cook, the driver of the ambulance which was conveying plaintiff to the hospital and Wellmon J. Cossey, plaintiff was caused to suffer additional injuries, and an aggravation of the injuries received in the previous accident, when the ambulance collided with an automobile being operated by defendant Wellmon Cossey.

It was further alleged that the negligence of defendant Wilma N. Smith, which caused the- collision between her car and the one driven by plaintiff, was (1) excessive speed, (2) failure to keep a proper lookout, (3) failure to slacken the speed or stop her automobile so as to avoid the collision, and (4) violation of the humanitarian doctrine; that as a result of the aforesaid negligence plaintiff was thrown about inside his car striking parts thereof, and thrown to the pavement of the highway; that he was subsequently thrown about within the ambulance within which he was a passenger striking various parts thereof, all seriously injuring him.

The petition then specifies various parts of the body as having been injured, which injuries were alleged to be the proximate result of the collision and said defendant’s negligence. It was also alleged that said injuries are serious, painful, permanent and progressive; that they required hospitalization and medical treatment by physicians and will in the future require such treatment; that by reason thereof, plaintiff was caused to suffer great pain of body and anxiety of mind which will continue in the future; and that the functions of the portions of his body injured have been seriously and permanently impaired.

The prayer of Count I was for judgment against defendant Wilma N. Smith in the sum of $75,000.00.

Count II of the petition was directed against defendants Leroy Beck, James Cook, Wellmon Cossey and Wilma N. Smith. It alleged that on October 31, 1963, plaintiff was a passenger in the ambulance which was being operated northwardly on Brent-wood Boulevard by defendants, Leroy Beck d/b/a Beck Ambulance Service and James Cook, when said ambulance collided with an automobile being operated westwardly on Clayton Road hy defendant Wellmon J. Cossey, which collision caused plaintiff to be violently thrown about within said ambulance with the result that plaintiff was seriously and permanently injured; that said collision was caused by the negligence of defendants, Leroy Beck, James Cook and Wellmon J. Cossey. The negligence charged was, (1) excessive speed under the circumstances then and there existing, (2) negligent failure to swerve, (3) negligent failure to give or sound a warning of the approach, proximity and movement of their respective vehicles. Defendants, Leroy Beck and James Cook were separately charged with (1) failure to keep a careful and vigilant watch or lookout for vehicles traveling on Clayton Road, particularly the *43 car operated by defendant Cossey, (2) negligent failure to yield the'right of way to the motor vehicle being driven by defendant Cossey, when the latter was approaching the intersection so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard of collision, (3) negligent failure to stop in response to an electric traffic signal which exhibited a red light, and proceeding into the intersection when it was not safe so to do.

It was further alleged that as a direct and proximate result of the negligence of defendant Wilma N. Smith as set out in Count I of the petition, and the injuries resulting therefrom as set out in Count I, plaintiff was placed in need of medical attention and emergency transportation to a hospital, and for that purpose secured the services of defendants Leroy Beck d/b/a Beck Ambulance Service, and James Cook; and that as a result of the negligence of defendants Leroy Beck, James Cook and Wellmon Cossey, and the concurring negligence of defendant Wilma N. Smith, plaintiff was thrown about in said ambulance which resulted in serious and permanent injuries.

The allegations with respect to the parts of the body injured are the same as those contained in Count I. Following said allegation in Count II it is averred “that all of the foregoing injuries were thereby caused, accelerated and activated.” The prayer of Count II is for judgment for $75,000.00 against defendants Leroy Beck, James Cook, Wellmon J. Cossey and Wilma N. Smith.

That part of Civil Rule 52.05 applicable in this proceeding reads as follows:

“ * * All persons may be joined in one action as defendants if there is asserted against them jointly, severally, or in the alternative, any right to relief in respect of or arising out of the same transaction, occurrences or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the action. A plaintiff or defendant need not be interested in obtaining or defending against all the relief demanded. Judgment may be given * * * against one or more defendants according to their respective liabilities.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
398 S.W.2d 41, 1965 Mo. App. LEXIS 501, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-smith-v-weinstein-moctapp-1965.