Warren Petroleum Corporation v. Pyeatt

275 S.W.2d 216, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2424
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 13, 1955
Docket6761
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 275 S.W.2d 216 (Warren Petroleum Corporation v. Pyeatt) 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
Warren Petroleum Corporation v. Pyeatt, 275 S.W.2d 216, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2424 (Tex. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

DAVIS, Justice.

This is an appeal from the judgment of the trial court in a case which resulted from an automobile and pick-up truck collision at a highway intersection in Gregg County. The collision occurred in the South lane of a highway that runs East and West, and the automobile driven by defendant Sher-win struck the pick-up being driven by plaintiff on the right side and about where the door fastens.

Plaintiff, Sterling Pyeatt, sued defendants, Warren Petroleum Corporation and W. C. (Bill) Sherwin, alleging many acts of negligence on the part of defendant Sherwin, while in the course of his employment as an agent, servant and employee of defendant Warren Petroleum Corporation. The agency is not denied. The highways, both paved, crossed almost at right angles, and ran North and South and East and West. Plaintiff was driving South in a pick-up belonging to Swaim Operating Company and defendant Sherwin was driving East in an automobile belonging to defendant Warren Petroleum Corporation.

Trial was to a jury which found in respects to the following numbered special issues that defendant Sherwin (1) failed to keep a proper lookout; (2) operated his car at a high and dangerous rate of speed under the existing circumstances; (4) that plaintiff entered the intersection before defendant Sherwin did; that defendant Sher-win (4a) failed to yield the right-of-way; (5) failed to make proper application of his brakes; (6) failed to slow his automobile immediately before entering the intersection; ,(7) failed to keep his automobile under proper control; (8) that immediately before the collision plaintiff was in a position of peril; that defendant Sherwin (8a) discovered such peril; (9) and increased the rate of speed of his automobile immediately prior to the collision; and, the jury exonerated the plaintiff from all acts of negligence. Judgment was for plaintiff and defendants appeal.

Defendants bring forward 22 points of error. They will be disposed of in the order assigned.

Point one complains of the action of the trial court in overruling defendants’ motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict of the jury. Their contention being based upon the assumption that defendant Sherwin had the right-of-way in the intersection as a matter of law because he, defendant Sherwin, was approaching said intersection from plaintiff’s right and that plaintiff was guilty of negligence as a matter of law in not yielding the right-of-way. The defendants cite no authority in support of their contention on this point. They refer to Article 6701d, Vernon’s R.C.S., but a careful examination of that Article will not support their contention in this case in the light of the evidence and the physical facts. From the physical facts, plaintiff entered the intersection first and had crossed the North lane of the highway that runs East and West and his front wheels were at or across the South line of the South lane of said highway when defendant Sherwin entered the intersection. The collision occurred immediately after *218 Sherwin entered same-. The evidence shows that plaintiff saw defendant Sherwin approaching 130 to 150 feet away and that he, Sherwin, started slowing down and plaintiff started on across the intersection. That Sherwin then speeded up and the collision occurred. Sherwin admitted in his testimony, the slowing down and speeding up, and also said he looked to his left on approaching the intersection but did not see plaintiff.

Section 71(a) of Article 6701d provides:

“The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the inter-: section from a different highway.”

As above stated, plaintiff unquestionably entered the intersection first; and, from the evidence, was justified in believing he could proceed into and across the same in safety. Buchanan v. Lang, Tex.Civ.App., 247 S.W.2d 445, w/r n. r. e.; Pressler v. Moody, Tex.Civ.App., 233 S.W.2d 165; Ferris v. Stableford, Tex.Civ.App., 248 S.W.2d 186; Pure Oil Co. v. Crabb, Tex.Civ.App., 151 S.W.2d 962; American Grocery Co., Inc. v. Abraham, Tex.Civ.App., 94 S.W.2d 1231; Checker Cab Co. v. Wagner, Tex.Civ.App., 199 S.W.2d 791; Brooks v. Enriquez, Tex.Civ.App., 172 S.W.2d 794. The point is overruled.

Point two complains of the action of the trial court in permitting plaintiff’s attorney, over defendants’ timely objection,- to place three charts upon a blackboard, in full view of the jury, immediately prior to ’commencing his closing argument. The charts are as follows: (Although the charts were not numbered we will identify them as A, B and C) ’

No. A.
1, Sherwin Failed to Keep Proper Lookout Yes
2 Sherwin Operated at High & Dangerous Speed Yes
3 Sherwin Failed to Ljtfok to His Left Yes
4 Pyeatt Entered Intersection First Yes
4A Sherwin Failed to Yield Right-of-Way Yes
5 Sherwin Failed to Make Proper Application of Brakes Yes
6 Sherwin Failed to Slow Car Yes
No.
7 Sherwin Failed to Have Car Under Proper Control Yes
8 Pyeatt in Danger — Sherwin Realized — Failed to Use Means Yes
9 Sherwin Increased Speed at Intersection Yes
B.
10 Arrive at Intersection Approximately Same Time No
11 Pyeatt Did Not Fail to Keep Proper Lookout * No
12 Pyeatt Did Not Fail to Look to His Right No
13 “ Did Not Fail to Have Control No
14 “ Did Not Fail to Stop No
14A Was it Negligence ■ No No
15 Pyeatt Did Not Operate Car Into Path No
15A Was it Negligence No No
16 Pyeatt Did Not Increase Speed No
16A Was it Negligence No No
17 Sherwin No.t in Position of Peril No
17A Did Pyeatt Discover Peril No
18 Unavoidable Were Not the Result of Un- ; avoidable Accident
C.
Damages
19 Loss of Earnings — Without Operation $3,300.00
(To Date — 22 Months at $150.00)
(Future — 32 Years at $1,800.00) 58,000.00
With Operation

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Bluebook (online)
275 S.W.2d 216, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 2424, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warren-petroleum-corporation-v-pyeatt-texapp-1955.