Weathers v. Renshaw Bros. Well Servicing Co.

307 S.W.2d 640, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 2197
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 15, 1957
Docket15851
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 307 S.W.2d 640 (Weathers v. Renshaw Bros. Well Servicing Co.) 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
Weathers v. Renshaw Bros. Well Servicing Co., 307 S.W.2d 640, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 2197 (Tex. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

RENFRO, Justice.

Suit was brought by C. B. Weathers et ux. against Renshaw Brothers Well Servicing Company and R. L. Williams, its .employee, acting within the scope of .his employment; for damages sustained in a *642 collision between a pickup driven by Mrs. Weathers and a pickup driven by Williams. On the occasion in question, Mrs. Weathers was driving south on Highway 37 in' the City of Winnsboro, and Williams was driving west on Pine Street, with the intention of making a left hand turn south on Highway 37. Highway 37 was 36 feet wide; Pine Street was 27 feet wide. The collision occurred about 6:30 a. m. on November 4, 1954, in the southwest corner of the intersection of the two named streets. The right front of the Williams’ pickup and the left front of the Weathers’ pickup bore the burden of the impact.

The jury found that Williams failed to yield the right of way, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to use ordinary care as he drove the pickup into the intersection, and that each of said acts of negligence was a proximate cause. Both parties were exonerated from excessive speed. It was found by the jury in issue 21 that Mrs. Weathers failed to keep a proper lookout on the-occasion in question; in issue 23 that she failed tp look to her left immediately prior-to entering the intersection; and in issue 32 that she was negligent in bringing her pickup to-a stop after entering the intersection. Proximate cause was found against her on each of the above findings. The jury found damages for the plaintiffs in the sum of $3,100. From á judgment for the defendants, the plaintiffs have perfected this appeal.

The first three points of error contend the court erred in submitting issues Nos. 21, 23 and 32 on the ground there was no evidence' to support the findings.

The jury found that the two pickups reached the intersection at approximately the same time. Thus, Mrs. Weathers, being on the right of Williams, was entitled to the right of way. This circumstance, however, did not excuse her from the duty of exercising ordinary care. Kersey v. Swidler, Tex.Civ.App., 223 S.W.2d 242. Ordinarily,- proper lookout- is- a question for the jury. Texas & Pac. Ry. Co. v. Day, 145 Tex. 277, 197 S.W.2d 332. The appellate court must consider that evidence, if any, which viewed in its most favorable light supports the jury’s findings. Biggers v. Continental Bus System, Tex., 303 S.W.2d 359.

Defendants offered in evidence a series of photographs taken two years after the collision, which showed the intersection and portions of Pine Street from various distances north on the Highway, and adduced testimony therefrom that a person 25 feet north of the intersection on the Highway could see 40 feet east on Pine Street, and that from 20 feet north of the intersection one could see 75 feet east down Pine Street.

Although Mrs. Weathers testified she did keep a proper lookout and looked to the left, the circumstances as disclosed by the record were such that the jury could find she did not so look. Kimbriel Produce Co. v. Webster, Tex.Civ.App., 185 S.W.2d 198. The evidence was such that the jury could have properly believed that she failed to keep a proper lookout and failed to look to the left before entering the intersection. There is also evidence from which the jury could have found that Mrs. Weathers was guilty of negligence in stopping at the intersection. The record was. such that the jury could have believed that she could have avoided the accident by continuing on her course, rather than coming to a sudden stop. Her testimony shows that she was driving 15 miles an hour when she saw the defendants’ pickup entering the intersection; that she immediately applied her brakes and stopped within 5 feet. There is no evidence of any other vehicular traffic in or near the intersection which might have impeded her movements.

Viewed in the light most favorable to defendants, we think the evidence is sufficient to uphold the jury’s findings to the issues oof which' complaint is made, and *643 therefore overrule plaintiffs’ points of error.

The remaining points of error are based on the action of the trial judge in refusing to grant a new trial because of jury misconduct. The witness Wilks, who was riding with defendant Williams at the time of the collision, testified that because of the high embankment along the north side of Pine Street “neither side can see until they are out practically into the road.” Velma Hair testified that because of the high embankment one going south on the Highway cannot see down Pine Street until he is within 25 feet of the intersection; she did not know how far down Pine Street one could see from such distance. Witness Wall testified that south bound traffic “can’t see around that bank until you about get there,” that one had to be within 2 or 3 feet of the curb line in order to see down Pine Street. Mrs. Weathers testified she saw the reflection of car lights coming up from East Pine and just as she* got to the intersection “he came across and hit me as I entered the intersection there.” She saw he was not going to stop so she applied her brakes and stopped. She could only see down Pine Street about 15 feet because of the embankment along the north side of Pine Street. She further testified that when one is 5 feet from the intersection, traveling south, only four or five feet of Pine Street are in view. Mr. Weathers testified the high bank has everything blocked, that the crest of the embankment along Pine Street is not far from the corner and you practically have to be even with the street to see Pine Street at all.

Plaintiffs attached the affidavit of Lee Vaughn, foreman of the jury, to their motion for new trial, in which Vaughn swore that after the jury received the court’s charge the first twenty issues were answered in order .without much difficulty; that when issue No.'21 on proper lookout of Mrs. Weathers was reached, a majority voted on the first ballot that she did not fail to keep a proper lookout; after considerable discussion the jury requested that Mrs. Weathers’ testimony regarding her looking, to her left down Pine Street as she approached the intersection be read to the jury; the next day before final decision was reached to- issue 21 the juror Mrs. Miller stated that she was familiar with this intersection, had traveled past it two or three times a week for the past several years and that one approaching the intersection from the north could see down Pine Street from at least 30 or 40 feet before reaching the intersection; that after the above statement was made several times, a majority of the members of the jury changed their vote on said issue from “no” to “yes”, in other words, convicted Mrs. Weathers of failing to keep a proper lookout; and thereafter the remaining issues were answered promptly. Juror Vaughn’s testimony on the motion for new trial was substantially the same as that set out in his affidavit, except that in his testimony he testified that Mrs. Miller stated that when you got to within about 20 feet of the intersection you could see down Pine Street, and that prior to Mrs. Miller’s statement he and some other jurors had voted that Mrs.

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

Related

Rodman Supply Company v. Jones
370 S.W.2d 951 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1963)
Texas & New Orleans Railroad v. Lopez
359 S.W.2d 221 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1962)
Goodman v. Byron
345 S.W.2d 940 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1961)
Davis v. Damge
328 S.W.2d 203 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1959)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
307 S.W.2d 640, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 2197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weathers-v-renshaw-bros-well-servicing-co-texapp-1957.