Stevens v. Tampa Electric Co.

88 So. 303, 81 Fla. 512
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedApril 12, 1921
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 88 So. 303 (Stevens v. Tampa Electric Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stevens v. Tampa Electric Co., 88 So. 303, 81 Fla. 512 (Fla. 1921).

Opinion

Whitfield, J.

In an action to recover damages for injuries to the person and to an automobile which the plaintiff was running at a street crossing, the declaration is in several counts, and in substance alleges that the injuries were proximately caused by the negligence of the defendant street car company in operating its car “at a high, rapid and excessive rate of speed,” and in negligently failing “to keep a proper look out,” and in carelessly and negligently running and operating “its said car along said Twiggs Street at a very dangerous and excessive rate of speed, exceeding the limit of twelve miles an hour fixed by municipal ordinance of the City of Tampa,” and in carelessly and negligently failing “to sound or give warning of danger at said crossing, or keep a lookout for danger, or have car under control at said crossing, or make' an effort to stop said car until it was too late to avoid a collision.” Trial was had on a plea of not guilty. A directed verdict for the defendant [515]*515was .properly denied at the close of plaintiff’s evidence as the plaintiff had shown an injury caused by a collision with the defendant company’s street car and the presumption of negligence of the company, imposed by the statute upon a showing of injury as alleged, had not been overcome by proof that the employees of the defendant company had “exercised all ordinary and reasonable care and diligence” to avoid the injury.

After all the testimony on both sides had been adduced, the court upon motion directed a verdict for the defendant and rendered judgment thereon.

The plaintiff took writ of error, and in effect contends that even though the plaintiff may not have been free from fault, yet as the defendant also was at' fault there may be a diminished recovery of damages under the statute in proportion as the plaintiff was at fault.

The statute provides that a railroad company shall be liable for “any damage done” to persons or property by the running of the cars of the company, unless the company shall make it appear that its agents “exercised all ordinary and, reasonable care and diMgenoe” to avoid the injury, the presumption in all cases being against the company. Sec. 3148, Gen. Stats. 1906, Sec. 4964, Rev. Gen. Stats. 1921. This statute is applicable to street car companies. Consumers’ Electric Light & St. R. Co. v. Pryor, 44 Fla. 354, 32 South. Rep. 797.

But in order to comply with the requirements of the Constitution, as to due process and equal protection of the laws, it is by statute also provided that no person shall recover damages from a railroad company for injury to himself or to his property when the same is caused by his own negligence. Sec. 3149, Gen. Stats. 1906, Sec. 4965, Rev. Gen. Stats. 1920.

[516]*516It is also provided that if the plaintiff and the agents of the railroad company are both at fault in causing an injury, the plaintiff may recover, but the damages shall be diminished in proportion as the fault of the plaintiff contributed to the entire injury sustained by him. Sec. 8149, Gen. Stats, 1906, Sec. 4965, Rev. Gen. Stats. 1921; Seaboard Air Line Ry. v. Callan, 73 Fla. 688, 74 South. Rep. 799; Seaboard Air Line Ry. v. Tilghman, 237 U. S. 499, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 653.

The presumption of negligence cast upon railroads by our statute in personal injury cases ceases when the railroad company has made it appear that its agents have exercised all ordinary and reasonable care and diligence. In the presence of such proof by the railroad company the jury do not take any such presumption with them to the jury room in weighing the evidence and in coming to a determination. The statute does not create such a presumption as will outweigh proofs, or that will require any greater or stronger or more convincing proofs to remove it. All that the statute does in creating the presumption is thereby to cast upon the railroad company the burden of affirmatively showing that its agents exercised all ordinary and reasonable care and diligence, and here'the statutory presumption ends. And when in a suit for personal injury the railroad company proves affirmatively by undisputed and uncontradicted evidence that it and its agents exercised all ordinary and reasonable care and diligence, and were not guilty of the negligence alleged, the plaintiff has no right to recover. Seaboard Air Line R. Co. v. Thompson, 57 Fla. 155, 48 South. Rep. 750; Louisville & Nashville R. R. Co. v. Harrison, 78 Fla. 381, 83 South. Rep. 89; Atlantic Coast Line R. Co. v. Miller, 53 Fla. 246, 44 South. Rep. 247; Seaboard Air Line Ry. v. Smith, 53 Fla. 375, 43 South. Rep. 235; [517]*517Live Oak, P. & G. R. Co. v. Miller, 72 Fla. 8, 72 South. Rep. 283; Tampa Electric Co. v. Bourquardez, 72 Fla. 161, 72 South. Rep. 668; Seaboard Air Line R. Co. v. Barwick, 51 Fla. 304, 41 South. Rep. 70; Louisville & N. R, Co. v. Padgett, 71 Fla. 90, 70 South. Rep. 998; Seaboard Air Line Ry. v. Tomberlin, 70 Fla. 435, 70 South. Rep. 437; Tampa Electric Co. v. Barber, decided this term.

If under the statute first above quoted, Section 3148, General Statutes of 1906, the defendant has made “it appear that its agents exercised all ordinary and reasonable care and diligence” t'o avoid the injury, the provision of Section 3149, General Statutes of 1906, as to a reduced recovery when both parties are at fault, has no application in this case. The defendant must have been guilty of some negligence as alleged before the apportionment provisions of the statute can be applicable.

A jury cannot lawfully find for the plaintiff unless the evidence is of such a nature as to produce a reasonable belief of the facts essential to the verdict. Escambia County Electric Light & Power Co. v. Sutherland, 61 Fla. 167, 194, 55 South. Rep. 83; Florala Saw Mill Co. v. Smith, 55 Fla. 447, 46 South. Rep. 332; Seaboard Air Line Ry. v. Royal Palm Soap Co., 80 Fla. 800, 86 South. Rep. 835. And a trial court' should not sustain a verdict when it is not in accord with the manifest weight of the evidence or with the justice of the case. Schultz v. Pacific Insurance Co., 14 Fla. 73, 94; Meinhardt v. Mode, 25 Fla. 181, 5 South. Rep. 672; Miller v. White, 23 Fla. 301, 2 South. Rep. 614; Tampa Water Works Co. v. Mugge, 60 Fla. 263, 53 South. Rep. 943.

In appellate proceeding, it is encumbent upon the-plaintiff in error or appellant definitely to show the [518]*518errors complained of. And if this burden is not distinctly met, the action of the trial court will not be disturbed. Where the appellate court is in doubt as to the propriety of a ruling of the trial court, the ruling will stand.

Where it is not clear that a trial judge erred in determining the probative effect of the competent testimony of witnesses taken before him, his judgment thereon should not be reversed, particularly where the testimony is conflicting and the witnesses are adversely interested or may not have had the same opportunities in- observing, or equal qualities to appreciate, the facts testified to.

The statutes provide that “if, after all the evidence of all the parties shall have been submitted, it be apparent to the judge * * * that no sufficient evidence has been submitted upon which the jury could legally find a verdict for one party, the judge may direct the jury to find a verdict for the opposite party.” Sec. 1496, Gen. Stats. 1906, as amended by O'hap. 6220, Acts of 1911, Sec. 2696, Rev. Gen. Stats. 1921.

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88 So. 303, 81 Fla. 512, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stevens-v-tampa-electric-co-fla-1921.