Thurn v. La Crosse Liquor Co.

46 N.W.2d 212, 258 Wis. 448, 1951 Wisc. LEXIS 411
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 6, 1951
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 46 N.W.2d 212 (Thurn v. La Crosse Liquor Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thurn v. La Crosse Liquor Co., 46 N.W.2d 212, 258 Wis. 448, 1951 Wisc. LEXIS 411 (Wis. 1951).

Opinions

Hughes, J.

The plaintiff testified that the highway was icy and that he observed Martindale approaching from the opposite direction at a high rate of speed; that he pulled his car onto the shoulder of the road and had virtually stopped when the accident occurred; that the Martindale car went into a skid and struck plaintiff’s car with great force, causing serious injury to plaintiff. This was sufficient to warrant the jury in finding that Martindale was negligent [451]*451with respect to speed and control. The police officer who was called to the scene of the accident testified that he 'observed that cars which crossed this icy stretch at slow speeds had a greater tendency to skid -than cars which traveled forty miles per hour. Defendant advances a theory that such testimony refutes that of plaintiff. At best, it presented a jury issue and gives no cause to disturb the'jury finding upon Martindale’s negligence. It certainly does not render plaintiff’s testimony incredible.

Appellant Thurn contends that the issue as to whether Martindale was an employee of the La Crosse Liquor Company was a question of fact and that the trial court erred in changing the jury’s answer to question 3 of the special vei'-dict pertaining to control.

This question was submitted in unusual form, but all parties seem to be satisfied that it properly presented the question of whether Martindale was an employee of La Crosse Liquor Company at the time of the accident. Since its form was more favorable to La Crosse Liquor Company than to plaintiff, no one appears injured.

The trial court concluded that the facts concerning the relationship between the company and Martindale were not in dispute and that they clearly establish that Martindale was an independent contractor.

The test used in determining the question of whether one is an employee or an independent contractor is well defined:

“. . . the most significant indicium of an independent contractor is his right to control the details of the work. The principal test to be applied in determining whether one rendering services for another is an employee or an independent contractor is whether the employer has the right to control the details of the work. This is the dominant test, although there are other things to be considered, such as the place of the work, the time of the employment, the method of payment, and the right of summary discharge of employees.” Kolman v. Industrial Comm. (1935), 219 Wis. 139, 141, [452]*452262 N. W. 622. See also Employers Mut. Liability Ins. Co. v. Brower (1937), 224 Wis. 485, 490, 272 N. W. 359.
“Where the inference is clear that there is, or is not, a master and servant relationship, it is made by the court; otherwise the jury determines the question after instruction by the court as to the matters of fact to be considered.” Restatement, 1 Agency, p. 484, sec. 220.

In the instant case the salesman was dead at the time of trial and the nature of his relationship to the company had to be determined from the testimony of the general manager of the La Crosse Liquor Company, as amplified by the testimony of another salesman covering his own relationship.

The manager, Czeskleba, testified that the company reserved no right to control the activities of Martindale and that when it gave him a territory to cover he was free to do so in whatever manner he saw fit, receiving commissions on sales made. He also testified that Martindale and the other salesmen attended sales meetings on Monday mornings to learn about the new price lists and the goods that were to be pushed during the following week, and that Martindale was free to attend those or not as he saw fit. He usually did attend. These circumstances, standing alone, would establish the relationship of independent contractor. Henry Haertel Service, Inc., v. Industrial Comm. (1933), 211 Wis. 455, 248 N. W. 430; Kruse v. Weigand (1931), 204 Wis. 195, 235 N. W. 426; James v. Tobin-Sutton Co. (1923), 182 Wis. 36, 195 N. W. 848.

There was other testimony of Czeskleba, however, which might well lead to the opposite conclusion. Pie testified that Martindale came to him looking for a “job” and that he “hired” him as a salesman.

Martindale called on the trade in a certain area. If orders were phoned to the company from his area Martindale was credited with the sales.

[453]*453If there was someone in the territory whose credit was not good, the company would not let him take an order except on C.O.D.

He was permitted to collect accounts and issue receipts in the company’s name.

Czeskleba further testified that, “the salesmen in our outfit have a great deal of leeway in price fixing, in the event that they can further their sales and build a volume sale out of what we call a limited sale, by discounting, they are to use their own discretion in the amount of discount that they give, but there are limitations.” Czeskleba fixed those limitations.

While Czeskleba testified that there was no fixed quota of sales for Martindale to meet, he also testified that if his sales fell down for a month he called that to his attention.

He also testified that after the accident Martindale reported to him and told him that he had a headache and did not think he would make any more calls that day.

Robinson, a salesman who worked under an arrangement similar to Martindale’s, testified that in his area the trucks made delivery of orders taken by him on established routes on certain days of each week and that he was expected to call on those customers a couple of days ahead of the truck so that orders taken by him could be delivered.

We conclude that on the entire record in this case the inferences were properly for the jury.

In Crossett v. Goelzer (1922), 177 Wis. 455, 469, 188 N. W. 627, where the question was whether the son had taken his father’s car for his own amusement or for the benefit of the father, the court said:

“While the facts are practically undisputed, it cannot be said that the inferences to be drawn therefrom are so plain that the minds of reasonable men cannot come to different conclusions in regard to them.”

The court there held it to be a question for a jury.

[454]*454With reference to the testimony of Czeskleba that the company reserved no right'to control the activities of its salesmen, the statement of this court in Drakenberg v. Knight (1922), 178 Wis. 386, 392, 190 N. W. 119, is pertinent:

.. “It is true that it was necessary for the plaintiff to establish that the injury occurred in the scope of Hale’s employment and that the car was then used with Knight’s consent. The jury were not bound to accept as conclusive the denials of authority by the interested parties, qualified as they were by their other testimony, and we cannot say as a matter of law that there was not credible evidence to meet both of the conditions of liability.”

Counsel for respondents and the trial court place great weight upon State ex rel. J. A. Sexauer Mfg. Co. v. Grimm (1935), 217 Wis. 422, 259 N. W. 262; Kassela v. Hoseth (1935), 217 Wis. 115, 258 N. W. 340; and Employers Mut. Liability Ins. Co. v. Brower, supra.

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Thurn v. La Crosse Liquor Co.
46 N.W.2d 212 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1951)

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Bluebook (online)
46 N.W.2d 212, 258 Wis. 448, 1951 Wisc. LEXIS 411, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thurn-v-la-crosse-liquor-co-wis-1951.