Viola v. Convery

122 So. 90, 10 La. App. 85, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 696
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 26, 1928
DocketNo. 10,440
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 122 So. 90 (Viola v. Convery) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Viola v. Convery, 122 So. 90, 10 La. App. 85, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 696 (La. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

JONES, J.

In this proceeding plaintiff sues her husband’s landlord for personal injuries in the sum of $10,160.00, alleged to have been caused on January 31, 1920, at 1122 Tchoupitoulas Street, by a 15-foot fall from the back gallery of the tenement to the brick pavement below.

She alleges that the rail enclosing the gallery broke and precipitated her to the pavement, while she was hanging up the family washing, and as a result of the accident, she was kept in the Charity Hospital three days and remained in the Hotel Dieu about two and a half months; that she still limped badly and feared permanent injury. She itemizes her damages as follows:

“Doctor’s bill, Fifty Dollars....... $ 50.00
. “Hotel Dieu fees, One Hundred Ten Dollars __________________________________ 110.00
“Physical suffering and mental anguish, Five Thousand Dollars '5,000.00
“For future suffering and pain, and impairment of the physical functions of the parts injured, as well as inability to perform her household duties, the fact of being a cripple for the rest of her life; loss' of full movement of her limb, and future mental anguish and fear by reason of same, the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ---------------------------------- 5,000.00
“Total, Ten Thousand One Hundred and Sixty Dollars .......................................$10,160.00’’

Defendants ‘ answered, admitting the accident, but pleading contributory negligence, evidenced by the alleged fact that plaintiff’s husband had agreed to repair the gallery for the sum of $5.00, to be [86]*86deducted from his rent. The case was tried by a jury and resulted in a verdict of $660.00, itemized as follows:

“It is ordered, adjudged and decreed, that there be judgment herein in favor of plaintiff, Mrs. Carmela Viola, wife of John Salsiccia, and against the defendant, Sarah F. Convery for two hundred and twenty dollars, against the defendant, John T. Convery for two hundred and twenty dollars and against the defendant, Charles F. Convery for' two hundred and twenty dollars with legal interest from judicial demand, against each of the three said defendants, and for the costs of this proceeding, one-third to each of the said defendants.’’

From this decision, defendants have appealed to this Court and plaintiff has answered the appeal, asking that the judgment be increased.

The sole issue before us is contributory negligence. The record shows, (1) That the plaintiff’s husband, a laborer, orally leased from defendants a small, cheap, second-story tenement, consisting of two rooms. and a kitchen, which opened on a small, narrow back gallery. This gallery, which was about ten feet long and one and one-half feet wide, was protected by a banister about four feet high, consisting of solid rails on the top and bottom, with upright rungs a few inches apart, in between the two rails; (2) Plaintiff, who had a baby about 14 months old, which was just beginning to crawl around, was naturally anxious to protect it from all dangerous openings; (3) she was hanging up clothes on the back gallery when the top rail of the banister broke and threw her to the pavement.

Mrs. Convery, one of the defendants, testified that, when plaintiff and her husband were inspecting the premises, just before the lease, the husband stated that the railing was weak and he could not move in unless it was fixed; whereupon she said: “I cannot get anyone with such short notice to repair it,” and he said: “I will do it.”

She further testified that two or three of the rungs were missing then; that he also complained that certain panes of glass were broken and would have to be repaired and that she authorized him to make the repairs and deduct the cost from rent. (Notes. She does not testify, as averred in the answer, that he had agreed to repair railing for $5.00).

J. S. Convery, son of defendant, admitted that a deduction was made from the rent for the panes of glass, but no deduction was ever made for any railing.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Convery testified that plaintiff erected a barrier at the rear end of the gallery, consisting of three boards nailed across the gallery about four feet high, and that they had seen this barrier repeatedly, both before and immediately after the accident, and that the husband had admitted that he was satisfied with that protection.

Plaintiff testified that she heard the discussion about repairing the window panes, but she denied hearing any discussion with reference to repairing the banister, and she further denied that any barrier was ever placed across the gallery.

The husband admits that he spoke to Mrs. Convery with reference to the railing, but he says he referred only to the missing rungs, as he feared that his baby would fall through. He positively denied that he ever agreed to repair the banister or to deduct the bill from the rent. In this he is confirmed by the fact that no deduction was ever made for repairs to railing, although one was made for repairs to window glasses.

[87]*87Mrs. Charles Streehler, a neighbor, whose back gallery almost join's that of plaintiff, and who testified that she saw plaintiff walk on the gallery to hang up the clothes, touch the rail, and fall, swears that no barrier was ever built across plaintiff’s back gallery, but that a wooden tomato-can box had been placed there to prevent the baby from going on the gallery. She is positive that she saw the box repeatedly both before and after the accident.

Defendant argues that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence because she walked on the gallery knowing it was rotten. As this is an important point, we quote plaintiff’s entire testimony thereon:

Mr. Benedict to plaintiff on cross-examination:

“Q. And you went out on this gallery that you knew was rotten?
“A. No, sir; if I knew it was rotten I never go there.”

Redirect examination:

Mr. Teissier:

“Q. Was the floor of that back gallery rotten?
‘¡A. Sir?
“Q. Was the flooring on that back gallery rotten?
“A. Yes, it was rotten.
“Q. What did you or your husband complain to Mrs. Convery about that gallery before you went in the house; what did you see was the matter with the gallery, do you remember?
“A. I don’t remember exactly.
“Q. Was it the gallery that fell down or the balustrade?

Mr. Benedict:

Object to leading the witness.

Mr. Teissier, (Continuing):
“Q. I will change the form of the question. What fell down?
“A. The banisters.
“Q. Did the gallery fall down?
"A. No, sir.
“Q. Were there any boards at the bottom of this railing?
“A. No boards.”

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

Related

Malatesta v. Lowry
130 So. 2d 785 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1961)
Brantley v. City of Baton Rouge
98 So. 2d 824 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1957)
Cade v. Tafaro
34 So. 2d 72 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1948)
Cato v. City of New Orleans
4 So. 2d 450 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1941)
Butler v. Maney
200 So. 226 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1941)
Estes v. &198tna Casualty Surety Co.
157 So. 395 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1934)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
122 So. 90, 10 La. App. 85, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 696, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/viola-v-convery-lactapp-1928.