Vance v. Obadal

256 S.W.2d 139, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 2222
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 4, 1953
Docket4914
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 256 S.W.2d 139 (Vance v. Obadal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vance v. Obadal, 256 S.W.2d 139, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 2222 (Tex. Ct. App. 1953).

Opinion

FRASER, Justice.

Appellant, J. L. Vance, brought suit against Adolph Obadal and his sister, Emma Obadal, operators of amusement devices in Washington Park in the city of El Paso, Texas, for injuries alleged to have been sustained by Appellant’s wife, Jennie *140 Jcr Vance, on August 5/ 1951,, while riding one .of these said devices described as the “Double Loop-O-Plane”, which was owned and operated by appellee, Adolph Obadal. Trial was to a .jury on special issues, upon the answers to which both sides filed motions for judgment. The trial court granted the motion of appellees Obadal and entered judgment for them.

Appellant’s first point Complains of the action of the trial court in overruling his motion for judgment on the verdict of the jury. In answer to the several questions submitted the jury failed to find the Obadals guilty of any negligence in the conduct, maintenance and operation of the said “Double Loop-O-Plane”. To be specific, the jury found in answer to Question No. 3 that the said device was not inherently dangerous because' of its design and construction; in answer to Question No. 6 the jury found that the electrical wiring of said device was not defective at the.time of this incident; the jury further found in answer to Question No. 9 that defendant, his agents, servants and employees did not operate the said device on or about August 5, 1951, and in which plaintiff and wife were riding, in such a manner as to cause a violent jerk.

Question No. 17 was as follows:

“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the injury to plaintiff’s wife was not the result of an unavoidable accident?”

to which the jury answered “No”. In answer to Question No. 20 the jury answered that the failure of defendants to warn plaintiff and wife before they entered the said device as to the method and operation of same was not negligence. On the contrary, the jury did find that the injuries of Mrs. Vance were sustained in the course of the normal and usual operation of said Loop-OPlane and arose . from risks natural and obvious to such operation. (See answers to questions Nos. 27 and 28). The jury found in answer to Question No. 23 that her injuries “arose from risks naturally and obviously arising from the design and construction of the Loop-O-Plane” and in answer to Questions 22 and 24 that the design and construction and manner and method of operation of said Loop-O-Plane 'were open and obvious to plaintiff and wife before they entered the same. We find, therefore, no basis for granting Appellant’s motion for judgment. Under these findings' to do so would make those operating similar amusement devices under similar circumstances, stand as insurers of their patrons. We do not conceive this to be the law. Murphy v. Steeplechase Amusement Co., Inc., 250 N.Y. 479, 166 N.E. 173, and the many cases cited therein. (Device known as “Flopper”); Waguespack v. Playland Corporation, La.App., 195 So. 368, (Loop-O-Plane); Williams v. Houston Baseball Association, Tex.Civ.App., 154 S.W.2d 874 (Patron of baseball park); Keys v. Alamo City Baseball Co., Tex.Civ.App., 150 S.W.2d 368.

This point is accordingly overruled.

In his second point appellant presents as error the action of the trial court in overruling his motion for new trial, and holding that there was not a conflict in the material findings of the jury rendering the verdict and the judgment thereon ineffective. Appellant points out:

“The jury in answer to the issue submitted found- that appellant’s wife was not guilty of any negligence and that her injury arose from risks naturally and obviously arising from the normal and usual operation of the Loop-O-Plane.” (Appellant’s brief, p. 4)

then in answer to issue No. 20, the jury found:

“the Appellee was not negligent in failing to warn Appellant and his wife of the method of operation,5*

and bases his position that these issues are in conflict on the statement

“It is obvious that if the normal operation of a machine will injure someone, as a matter of law such duty to warn would exist.” (Appellant’s brief p. 4.)

We do not find conflict in the findings of the jury. There was testimony that a great many people-had safely ridden this device during that summer season, and the record is silent as to any injuries to other persons. *141 Testimony reveals that the said device was brilliantly lighted, and the jury found that the design and construction were open and obvious, and that the. manner and method of operation of the device was o.pen, obvious and apparent (emphasis ours) to plaintiff and his wife. They were mature people in apparent possession of their normal faculties. What then was there to warn these people about? The testimony and jury findings at best merely point out that Mrs. Vance was injured while (emphasis ours) riding said device, without specific finding as to exact time during said ride, or exact, manner and means. Dr. S. Perry Rogers testified the type of injury sustained by her

“is not infrequently attributable to sneezing, to a sudden turning of the head, or to any movement of the body which would bring tension upon the bones of the neck.”

Nor can we agree with appellant that the mere fact of injury to Mrs. Vance without negligence on her part during the normal operation of the device thereby makes it an inherently dangerous device, thus conflicting with the answer to Question No. 3, wherein the jury found that said device was not inherently dangerous. This is a ■clear case of Volenti non fit injuria. That which happened to plaintiff’s wife is thát which common experience tells us might happen to anyone, who in order to enjoy the devices commonly offered to the public for its amusement, accepts the normal dangers attendant thereto. Indeed, as Justice Cardozo observed in the case of Murphy v. Steeplechase Amusement Co., Inc., supra [250 N.Y. 479, 166 N.E. 174] “The timorous may stay at home.”

The jury indicated by its answer to Question No. 17 that the affair was the result of an unavoidable accident. This finding seems to preclude any conflict in their answers to the.various questions in the charge. As pointed out in our disposition of Appellant’s first point, operators of amusement devices such .as this one was, and under circumstances such as were here present, are not insurers of their patrons. Those who patronize such said amusement devices which are not inherently dangerous, and the method of construction and'operation of which -are unobscured and, open to the:viewof the prospective .patrons, voluntarily subject, themselves to the ordinary risks attendant upon the normal operation of said device. Appellant’s second point is .accordingly overruled. :For authorities reference is made to the cases cited in our discussion of appellant’s first point.

Appellant’s, third point is here quoted.:.

“The undisputed evidence showing that the appellees testified falsely to material facts and that this perjury was not known and could not have been.

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Bluebook (online)
256 S.W.2d 139, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 2222, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vance-v-obadal-texapp-1953.