Tapp v. Tennessee Electric Power Co.

9 Tenn. App. 632, 1929 Tenn. App. LEXIS 123
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 23, 1929
StatusPublished

This text of 9 Tenn. App. 632 (Tapp v. Tennessee Electric Power Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tapp v. Tennessee Electric Power Co., 9 Tenn. App. 632, 1929 Tenn. App. LEXIS 123 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

SENTER, J.

The appeal in this case is from the action of the trial judge in sustaining a motion for a new trial, and directing a verdict in favor of the defendant, and dismissing the suit of plaintiff.

For convenience the parties will be referred to as in the 'court below, C. L. Tapp, plaintiff, and Tennessee Electric Power Co., defendant.

The suit grew out of a collision between one of the trolley cars of the defendant and the automobile driven by plaintiff at a street crossing in the suburbs of Chattanooga, resulting in the alleged injuries and damage sustained by plaintiff. The declaration alleged the negligent operation of the trolley car by defendants agent, servant and employee, as the direct, proximate and efficient cause of the collision. The negligent acts alleged in the declaration were the excessive rate of speed at which the trolley car was being operated, and the failure of the motorman to give the signals indicating the approach of the car.

*634 To the declaration and the amended declaration, the defendant pleaded the general issue of not guilty, and also the contributory negligence of the plaintiff.

At the conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence the defendant moved the court for a directed verdict in -its favor, which motion was byl the court overruled and disallowed. At the conclusion of all the evidence, the defendant again moved the court for a directed verdict in its favor, which motion was likewise overruled and disallowed. The jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff in the sum of $5,000 and costs. The defendant filed its motion for a new trial, and for a directed verdict in its favor. This motion for a new trial was granted, and the court directed a verdict in favor of the defendant and dismissed the suit of plaintiff. To this action of the court the plaintiff excepted, and moved for a new trial. This motion was overruled, and from the action of the court plaintiff has appealed to this court, and has assigned errors.

The several assignments of error present but the single question, and that is was there any material evidence that would warrant the case going to the jury.

It appears from the record that on February 24, 1927, the plaintiff, who lived at Cloud Springs, Georgia, and worked in the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was traveling from his home to his place of employment in Chattanooga, in a Ford coupe. At the time of the collision plaintiff approached the street car tracks where the same crossed avenue “Q, ” and while in the act of crossing the street car track the street car struck the Ford coupe. At the point of collision the street car' track is straight for a distance of about 700 feet, and no obstructions. The avenue “Q” does not cross the track at right angles. The general direction of the carline at the point of the accident is southeast and northwest, and the direction of avenue 11Q” is north and south. The street ear was going in a northerly direction from Oglethorp to the City of Chattanooga, and the plaintiff was driving in a southerly direction. It appears that the surface of the ground is comparatively level, except a slight incline where the avenue crosses the car line.

The plaintiff testified that when he reached a point seventy feet from the.crossing he saw the trolley car which was then at a switch about 464 feet from the crossing; that he was driving the automobile at a slow rate of speed, ten or twelve miles per hour. Plaintiff testified further that he proceeded to the crossing at about the same rate of speed, and that when he was just entering upon the crossing he again observed the street car and that it was then at a point 170 feet from the crossing, and that in this situation he attempted to cross in front of the approaching car and was struck by *635 the ear before the automobile cleared the rail, resulting in the injuries complained of.

There was a decided conflict in the evidence with reference to the rate of speed at which the trolley ear was traveling, and the distance the same ran after the collision, and on other matters', but for the purposes of the questions made on this appeal, the evidence must be taken in its strongest and most favorable aspect to the plaintiff’s case. There is some evidence that the street car was running at a rate of speed of thirty-five or forty miles per hour as it approached this street crossing and did not slacken its speed; there is also some evidence, though negative in form, that the motorman in charge of the street car did not ring the bell or give any other warning of the approach of the street car. This would constitute some evidence of negligence on the part of the motorman, and in the absence of any evidence of contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff, would entitle the plaintiff to have the question of the negligence of the defendant submitted to the jury under a proper instruction from the court. (Illinois Central R. R. Co. v. Beaver, 3 Tenn. App., 67.)

It is well settled that if there is any dispute in the evidence as to material facts the question must be presented to the jury, and the court would not be warranted in determining any facts where there is a conflict in the evidence. (R. R. v. Morgan, 132 Tenn., 7.)

In passing on a motion by a defendant for a peremptory instruction in its favor, it must be assumed for the purposes of the motion that the evidence of plaintiff’s witnesses is true. (Knoxville v. Cain, 128 Tenn., 250.)

In considering defendant’s motion for peremptory instructions, that view of the evidence, most favorable to plaintiff’s ease must be taken by the court. (Nashville v. Reese, 138 Tenn., 471; R. R. v. Morgan, 132 Tenn., 1; Hinds v. Partridge, 144 Tenn., 219; Wildman Mfg. Co. v. Davenport, etc., 147 Tenn., 551.)

It is equally settled that where there is no conflict in the evidence, or where under plaintiff’s strongest and most favorable showing, his conduct shows unmistakable contributory negligence, then the question of negligence is one for the court and entitles the defendant to a peremptory instruction. (Illinois Central R. R. Co. v. Beaver, supra; Knoxville v. Cain, supra.)

In the case of Tenn. Copper Co. v. Simpson, 6 App. Cas. 536, it is said:

“Where a defendant establishes by incontrovertible proof a fact which disentitles plaintiff to a recovery, the court should direct a verdict, notwithstanding the rule, that when a motion therefor is made all presumptions must be indulged in favor of plaintiff. ...
*636 . . Where from the facts thoroughly shown, one conclusion only is deducible, or if all the evidence tends to the one conclusion, the case should be taken from the jury. (See also Brickwoods Sackett Instructions to Juries, Sec. 251.)

With the rule as above stated, it becomes important that we carefully scrutinize and analyze the evidence of plaintiff, and consider the same in its most favorable light, to determine whether under his own statement of the transaction he was guilty of contributory negligence as one of the proximate and direct causes of the collision. If he was, there should have been a directed verdict in favor of the defendant, if not, the ease should have been submitted to the jury.

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Related

Illinois Central Railroad v. Beaver
3 Tenn. App. 67 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1925)
Citizens' Rapid Transit Co. v. Seigrist
33 S.W. 920 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1896)
Mayor of Knoxville v. Cain
128 Tenn. 250 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1913)
Tennessee Central Railroad v. Morgan
132 Tenn. 1 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1914)
Mayor of Nashville v. Reese
138 Tenn. 471 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1917)
Hines v. Partridge
144 Tenn. 219 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1920)
Wildman Mfg. Co. v. Davenport Hosiery Mills
147 Tenn. 551 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1922)

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Bluebook (online)
9 Tenn. App. 632, 1929 Tenn. App. LEXIS 123, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tapp-v-tennessee-electric-power-co-tennctapp-1929.