Thomas v. Des Moines Railway Co.

2 N.W.2d 655, 231 Iowa 1003
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMarch 10, 1942
DocketNo. 45805.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2 N.W.2d 655 (Thomas v. Des Moines Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas v. Des Moines Railway Co., 2 N.W.2d 655, 231 Iowa 1003 (iowa 1942).

Opinion

Miller, J.

The only errors assigned relate to the instructions given to the jury. In plaintiff’s petition he asserted six specifications of negligence. Some of them were not submitted to the jury and others were submitted in modified form. In the statement of the issues, the court stated:

“The plaintiff alleges that at the time and place of the said collision the defendant was guilty of negligence in the following particulars: That the defendant failed to have its ear under control and to reduce the speed while approaching the intersec *1004 tion of Watrous Avenue at the time of the accident. That the defendant did not maintain a proper lookout at said intersection at the time and place of the accident; That defendant obstructed plaintiff’s view by parking a northbound street car on its east track in such a way that the rear portion of the car extended part way across the traveled portion of Watrous Avenue, thereby obstructing the view of the driver of plaintiff’s car as to the other street car belonging to the defendant proceeding southward on the west track; The defendant failed to ring any bell or give any signal as his car approached the intersection with Watrous Avenue. ’ ’

The court’s instruction 5 was as follows:

1 ‘ The plaintiff as grounds for his recovery, makes the following allegations of negligence and relies thereon:

“1. That the defendant failed to have its car under control and to reduce the speed while approaching and traversing the-intersection with Watrous Avenue.

‘12. That the defendant did not maintain a proper lookout at said intersection at the time and place of the accident.

“3. That the defendant obstructed plaintiff's view by parking a northbound street car on its east track in such a way that the rear portion of the car extended part way across the traveled portion of Watrous Avenue, thereby obstructing the view of the driver of plaintiff’s car as to the other street car belonging to the defendant proceeding southward on the west track.

‘14. The defendant failed to ring any bell or give any signal as his car approached the intersection of Watrous Avenue.”

The court’s instruction 7 was as follows:

“It is the claim of the plaintiff that the defendant railway company parked the rear end of their street car part way across the intersection at Watrous Avenue thereby obstructing the view of the driver of said automobile at said time and place and was the catóse of the collision in this case.

“You are instructed, that the defendant railway company had a right to park their street car on their railway tracks, but if the plaintiff has shown and proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the said defendant parked said street car with the *1005 rear end thereof part way across the intersection of Watrons Avenue, and that by so doing it was the direct and proximate cause of the injury to the plaintiff’s automobile, and that the driver of plaintiff’s car at said time and place was free from any negligence on his part which in any degree contributed to the said injury and damage, then the defendant would be guilty of negligence and you should find for the plaintiff on this issue.” (Italics supplied.)

The defendant filed exceptions to the instructions and a motion for new trial. Exception was taken to the statement of the issues, instruction 5 and instruction 7, above quoted, for the reason that, in giving the same to the jury, the court erroneously told the jury that the obstructing of plaintiff’s view by placing a railway car on another track might be considered as an independent ground of negligence. The exceptions to the instructions and the motion for new trial were overruled. Defendant appeals from such ruling.

The assignments of error present for our determination the question above stated, whether the court erred in telling the jury that the obstructing of the view by placing a streetcar on another track might be considered as an independent ground of negligence. Defendant relies upon the eases of Bruggeman v. Illinois Cent. R. Co., 154 Iowa 596, 134 N. W. 1079; Anderson v. United States R. Adm., 193 Iowa 1041, 188 N. W. 826; Bannister v. Illinois Cent. R. Co., 199 Iowa 657, 202 N. W. 766. These decisions sustain defendant’s contention.

In the Bruggeman case, supra, this court states (154 Iowa at page 599, 134 N. W. at page 1080) as follows:

‘ ‘ That the placing of freight cars upon a sidetrack so as to obstruct the view of a crossing would not be deemed as an independent ground of negligence is too plain to require argument. The authorities are practically uniform on this question. It was so held in effect upon the former appeal in this case. Artz v. C., R. I. & P. R. Co., 44 Iowa, 284; Funtson v. C., R. I. & P. R. Co., 61 Iowa, 452; Reed v. C., St. P., M. & O. R. Co., 74 Iowa, 188; Cordell v. N. Y. Central, 70 N. Y. 119 (26 Am. Rep. 550); Chicago, B. & Q. v. Roberts, 3 Neb. (Unof.) 425 (91 N. W. 707).”

*1006 In the Anderson case, supra, this court states (193 Iowa at page 1045, 188 N. W. at page 828) as follows:

“Assignment No. 3 charges that the court erred in submitting to the jury, as a specific ground of negligence, ‘that the defendant had so placed box ears that they extended out into the public highway to such an extent that they entirely obstructed the view of the driver of the automobile toward the east, the direction from which the train was coming, until she was almost upon the main track of the defendant’s railroad, upon which said passenger train was being operated.’ This assignment of error is well taken. The court submitted this alleged ground of negligence as a particular and distinct ground of negligence in Instruction No. 5, and in Instruction No. 11 permitted the jury to find that such ground of negligence was the proximate cause of the injury to plaintiff’s automobile. We announced in Bruggeman v. Illinois Cent. R. Co., 154 Iowa 596:

“ ‘That the placing of freight cars upon a sidetrack so as to obstruct the view of a crossing would not be deemed as an independent ground of negligence is too plain to require argument. ’

“See, also, the authorities cited in the Bruggeman case. The authorities are practically uniform on this question. * * *

“Because of the error above pointed out, the judgment of the trial court must be reversed, and the case remanded for another trial.”

In the Bannister case, supra, this court states (199 Iowa at page 659, 202 N. W. at page 767) as follows:

“The presence of the freight car, as claimed by the plaintiff, was not an independent ground of negligence. Anderson v. United States R. Adm., 193 Iowa 1041. That is to say, it was not such an act of negligence as, standing alone, would create a liability for damages; but it was competent for plaintiff to show this fact, as bearing upon the degree of care required to be exercised by the defendant, and also by the plaintiff. Glanville v. Chicago, R. I. & P. R. Co., 196 Iowa 456; Anderson v. United States R. Adm., 197 Iowa 1.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Coonley v. Lowden
12 N.W.2d 870 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1944)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2 N.W.2d 655, 231 Iowa 1003, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-des-moines-railway-co-iowa-1942.