Wade v. Peebles

174 S.E. 769, 162 Va. 479
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedJune 14, 1934
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 174 S.E. 769 (Wade v. Peebles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wade v. Peebles, 174 S.E. 769, 162 Va. 479 (Va. 1934).

Opinion

Epes, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an action instituted hy a notice of motion for judgment hy Mrs. Lettler H. Peebles against I. N. Wade to recover damages for personal injuries which she al[483]*483leges she suffered as the result of an automobile collision caused by the negligence of Wade.

There were two trials of the case. On the first trial, held March 4, 1932, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff for $2,750. The defendant moved the court to set the verdict aside and grant him a new trial on the following grounds: (1) “The verdict is contrary to the law and the evidence.” (2) “The plaintiff failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that her injuries were caused by the negligence of the defendant.” (3) “The verdict was grossly excessive.” (4) “The verdict plainly shows that the jury was actuated by sympathy, prejudice and partiality, or that they were misled by some mistaken view of the merits of the case.”

On May 14, 1932, the court, in ruling on this motion, entered an order which reads as follows:

“The court having fully heard and considered the motion of the defendant to set aside the verdict of the jury in this case and grant him a new trial, doth sustain the same as to the amount of damages awarded the plaintiff, and doth grant a new trial for the purpose of the jury to assess the damages in this case; to which action of the court in refusing to set aside the verdict of the jury and enter judgment for the defendant, the defendant, by counsel excepted; and to which action of the court in setting aside the verdict of the jury and granting a new trial in order for the jury to assess the damages, the plaintiff, by counsel, excepted.”

The evidence introduced at the first trial was not made a part of the record.

On the second trial, held May 31, 1932, after the jury had been sworn and before counsel made their opening statements, the court made the following statement to the jury:

“The court: You understand you are not trying as to whose negligence was the proximate cause of this automobile accident; you are merely trying the amount of damages that the negligence of the defendant was the [484]*484proximate cause of. * * * It has been decided that the defendant’s negligence was the cause of the accident. The only thing is the amount of damages.
“Mr. Bragg [counsel for defendant] : I understand that the jury is to decide * * * whether or not this accident brought about the abortion that the lady suffered.
“The court: The only thing is, it has been decided that the negligence of the defendant was the proximate cause of the accident. The question is what damages resulted to the plaintiff from that.
“Mr. Bragg: If any.
“The court: That is the question.
“Mr. Davis [counsel for plaintiff]: In other words, the jury is to fix the amount of damages as the result of the accident.
“The court: The whole question of damages comes up.”

While counsel for plaintiff was making his opening statement this occurred:

“Mr. Davis : His honor has told you that the liability of this has already been established and fixed, that the proximate cause of her injuries is the negligence of Mr. Wade, the defendant, and it is your duty to say—
“Mr. Bragg (interposing) : Your honor has not said that. That is for the jury to decide—the proximate cause.
“The court: I think that is perfectly plain. It has been decided that the negligence of Mr. Wade was the proximate cause of the accident. It is the duty of the jury to decide what damages came to plaintiff as the consequence of that act.
“Mr. Bragg: Yes, sir, that is right.”

So far as it need be stated, the evidence introduced on the second trial was as follows:

The collision occurred Sunday, July 5, 1931, at the intersection of Jackson and Ohio streets in the city of South Norfolk. One of the cars, which was being driven by Mrs. Peebles’ husband, was going south on Jackson street. The other, driven by Wade, was going east on Ohio street. Mrs. Peebles was sitting on the front seat of their car [485]*485between her husband and a Miss Franklin. The right side Of Wade’s front fender struck the right rear wheel of Peebles’ car. It crushed its right rear fender, and turned it around in the street, but Hid not turn it over. According to the evidence for the plaintiff both cars were runnning between fifteen and eighteen miles an hour when they collided. Wade testified that the speed of each car had been reduced to about ten miles an hour before the impact occurred. Mr. Peebles was not injured in any way, and the inference from the evidence is that Wade was not hurt. Miss Franklin received a cut over her eye. The evidence with reference to Mrs. Peebles’ injuries follows:

Mrs. Peebles’ testimony is this: When the cars collided “I was jammed between Miss Franklin and Mr. Peebles. At the time I was stunned and I didn’t know how I felt. I was taken from the scene of the accident to Dr. Chapman’s office. When I got there I was hysterical and nervous, and I began to have pain * * * in my back and through my shoulders and through my abdomen. From his office I was taken to Miss Franklin’s home. From there I was taken to my home and put to bed, and was confined to my bed about a month. I did not receive a scratch or a scar that I know of; but I was pregnant and on tlie Thursday following the accident I had an abortion. I had missed my menstrual period which should have occurred about three weeks before the accident. I had never had an abortion, but I had given birth to a child about two years before; and from past experience I am sure I was pregnant and I am sure I had an abortion. I did not see the foetus. I was so ill I didn’t know what was going on. I had been suffering with nausea before the accident, started to vomiting after the accident, and continued to vomit up to the time of the miscarriage. After that I was too sick to know what I did. About fourteen months before my child was born I was operated on for a female trouble, but that had nothing to do with this case. Also before my child was born I suffered from a [486]*486stricture of the ureter, but have not suffered from that trouble since the birth of my child. The accident has completely wrecked my nerves. Before that time I did all my housework even to my baby’s laundry and took care of the baby, and drove an automobile whenever I wanted to go but I don’t drive a car any more. Since that time I have not been able to do any work and have had to keep a servant. I have not been able to care for my baby, and lots of times I have to send baby away from home because I am so nervous. Now if I do the least work or lift my baby or things like that, I suffer with my back and shoulders, and I suffer all the time with my head. I have headaches and my head pains me. Before the accident I weighed from 115 to 118 pounds and had no trouble in sleeping. I now weigh only ninety-four pounds and lots of nights I have to take things to make me sleep. Before the accident I had no trouble at my menstrual periods. Now every month I suffer so I have to go to bed for two or three days.”

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174 S.E. 769, 162 Va. 479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wade-v-peebles-va-1934.