Stewart v. Ray

76 A.2d 628, 366 Pa. 134
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 21, 1950
DocketAppeals, Nos. 195 and 196
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 76 A.2d 628 (Stewart v. Ray) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stewart v. Ray, 76 A.2d 628, 366 Pa. 134 (Pa. 1950).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Chidsey,

Florence C. Stewart and John M. Stewart, her husband, instituted this action in trespass against Anette Ray and Anthony Infantino, trading and doing business as Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Carriers, to recover damages for injuries sustained by her when the automobile of Anette Ray in which Mrs. Stewart was a passenger and the tractor-trailer of Infantino, driven by his employe, James Magrino, collided at an intersection in the City of Pittsburgh. A jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiffs against defendant, Anette Ray, and in favor of Infantino. A motion for new trial by plaintiffs asserting inadequacy of the verdict was subsequently withdrawn. Anette Ray filed a motion for new trial claiming the verdict to have been against the weight of the evidence. These appeals by Infantino are from the order of the court below awarding a new trial as to both defendants. Plaintiffs did not appeal but are opposed to setting aside the verdicts against defendant Ray.

Anette Ray, about noon February 11, 1947, a clear, sunny day, was proceeding éastwardly on Sawmill Run [136]*136Boulevard approaching a T-intersection with Woodruff Street. Sawmill Run Boulevard is a four-lane highway and runs east and west. Woodruff Street intersects the Boulevard on the north side. In the center of Woodruff Street at the northerly line of the Boulevard is a triangular island separating traffic. A traffic, light operating with the usual green, amber and red cycle is installed on said island: A similar traffic control light is installed along the southerly curb of Sawmill Run Boulevard opposite the traffic island.

Mrs. Stewart was occupying the front seat of the Ray car. A Mrs. Campbell and a. Mrs. Perry occupied the rear seat. Mrs. Stewart was rendered unconscious as a result of the accident and had no recollection of the manner in which the accident happened. Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Perry were talking with each other about a meeting to which they were going and were not paying much attention, if any, to the operation of the car. Mrs. Campbell did not know whether Mrs. Ray had executed a left turn and did not see the In-fantino truck, until, as she said, “it was practically on us”.

Plaintiffs called James Magrino, the operator of the Infantino truck. Magrino, an experienced truck driver, was operating his 10 ton .tractor-trailer, 38 feet in length and carrying a load of 3,000 pounds. According to his testimony, he had entered upon Sawmill Run Boulevard at Liberty Tubes and was proceeding westerly, intending to make a delivery at the Carnegie plant of the Superior Steel Company. He was travelling at a speed of 20 to 25 miles per hour in his right lane and did not change his course up to the point of collision. As he proceeded through a railroad underpass 50 to 55 feet from the intersection, he saw the Ray car approaching in the center of the two east-bound traffic lanes about 120 feet west of the traffic light. Mrs. Ray continued driving Straight ahead, straddling the east[137]*137bound traffic lanes at approximately the same speed at which he was travelling. She gave no indication of any intention to turn to her left. When Magrino was committed to the intersection, Mrs. Ray, without any noticeable change in her speed or having given any signal, turned her car abruptly to the left to enter upon Wood-ruff Street and ran into his tractor, striking the left front wheel to the rear of the bumper with the left front of her car. The front of the tractor at the time of the collision was about 4 feet from the traffic island. The collision destroyed the air brakes on the tractor-trailer, and damaged the steering apparatus so that it could be turned only to the left. After the impact, the tractor-trailer continued through the intersection and the right side of the trailer struck a pole at the northwest corner. When stopped, the rear end of the trailer was 6 to 8 feet from the pole and turned slightly toward the left. The Ray car came to rest in the west-bound lanes, headed west, with the rear end in line with and about 6 feet to the north of the light on the traffic island.

The Ray car sustained extensive damage. Replacements of parts of the front bumper, left front wheel, fan, radiator, both front fenders, both headlights, hood and other miscellaneous parts was required. The front bumper on the Infantino tractor had not been struck, although it required straightening. The sealed beam in the left headlight required replacement but not the headlight itself which was not damaged and apparently not struck. As a result of the collision at the left front wheel, the left spring was broken, the axle was bent, the fender pushed up, knocking the turning signal off the fender, the tie-rod beneath the truck was bent, and the air line broken, preventing the use of the brakes.

Mrs. Ray was also called by plaintiffs as for cross-examination. She testified that when she came to the intersection she stopped, although the traffic signal was [138]*138favorable to her and that while so stopped, the tractor-trailer “weaved” across and hit her.

Earl J. Threnhauser, a disinterested-witness, ■ called bj defendant Infantino, testified that he had been driving a truck on Woodruff Street approaching the Boulevard and had stopped at the. intersection to the right of the traffic island in compliance with the traffic light; that he saw the Bay car approaching from the west, straddling the two east-bound lanes and observed the Infantino tractor-trailer approaching from the east; that after the tractor-trailer had been committed to the intersection, Mrs. Bay executed a left turn directly into the left front of the tractor-trailer; and that Ma-grino did not swerve into the Bay car but was proceeding straight ahead on his extreme right lane until the Bay car drove into the truck.

The court below recited excerpts of testimony by Magrino and Threnhauser which it held rendered their respective testimony self-contradictory and stated: “In view of this very strange and contradictory testimony, we are of the opinion that it would-not' be'in the interest of justice to terminate this case on the basis of the present verdicts and that there should be a retrial against both defendants.”

Appellant contends that' the court misconceived the probative value of the testimony of Magrino and Thren-hauser, gave unwarranted weight to certain isolated answers made under cross-examination and ignored completely all corrections, clarifications and explanations given, all of which in the circumstances constituted a palpable abuse of discretion and a usurpation of the exclusive function of the jury as triers of fact. A careful review of the testimony, particularly that of Ma-grino and Threnhauser, leads to the unalterable conclusion that the testimony of Magrino is consistent throughout and that the testimony of Threnhauser, [139]*139while less clear, is equally positive and consistent as regards the happening of the accident.

Here, as in Martin v. Arnold, 366 Pa. 128, 77 A. 2d 99, this Court is again asked to reverse an order of the court below granting a new trial where that court has found the verdicts to be against the weight of the evidence and that the interests of justice require a new trial.

In that case it was said: “Where, as in the instant case, the court below has concluded that the verdict of the jury is contrary to the weight of the evidence and that the interests of justice Require granting of a new trial, this Court is most hesitant to disturb such conclusion: Frank v. W. S. Losier & Co., Inc., 361 Pa.

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Bluebook (online)
76 A.2d 628, 366 Pa. 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stewart-v-ray-pa-1950.