Williams v. Lenfant

131 So. 857, 15 La. App. 515, 1931 La. App. LEXIS 26
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 19, 1931
DocketNo. 13,506
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 131 So. 857 (Williams v. Lenfant) 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
Williams v. Lenfant, 131 So. 857, 15 La. App. 515, 1931 La. App. LEXIS 26 (La. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

JANVIER, J.

Plaintiff, while seated on the right front seat of the automobile of his brother-in-law, who was driving the car, received injuries as the result of a collision between that automobile, a Chevrolet, and another, a Packard, owned and occupied by defendant and driven either by defendant himself, or, at his invitation, by a young lady friend- of his. It is immaterial that, possibly, defendant’s friend may have been at the steering wheel, because defendant’s counsel admits that, under the circumstances, defendant would have been chargeable with any legal responsibility which might result from any negligent act of his friend in driving his car under his direction, and with him present.

The accident occurred at about 11 o’clock at night on the eve of January 1, 1928. The Chevrolet in which plaintiff and his brother-in-law were riding had proceeded a short distance down the river side of North Rampart street and had reached the corner of St. Louis street, when the driver thereof, desiring to go out St. Louis street, toward the lake, turned to his left and stopped for a few seconds on the neutral ground of North Rampart street. Defendant’s car was coming up the lake side of North Rampart street, and plaintiff contends that the driver thereof was negligent in approaching the intersection at a rapid rate of speed and in not according to the automobile in which plaintiff was riding the .right-of-way to which it was entitled under the law, and also that, if the driver of the Chevrolet was at fault, nevertheless that negligence is not attributable to plaintiff, who was riding with him as It's guest and who had nothing to do with the operation of the automobile.

[516]*516Counsel for defendant contends that the driver of defendant’s car was not negligent in the particulars referred to, but that, if he was, plaintiff himself' was negligent in that he had every opportunity to see the approaching car and to warn the driver of the car in which he was riding and that, thus, his failure to warn the driver prevents his recovery.

The trial court rendered judgment in favor of plaintiff for $1,200 and the case is now before us on appeal from that judgment.

As to what occurred while the Chevrolet was standing on the neutral ground, there is no evidence except that adduced on behalf of plaintiff, so we will accept that as portraying the true facts. Plaintiff’s witnesses, himself, his brother-in-law and a pedestrian bearing the name Lopez, stated that, while the Chevrolet was standing on the neutral ground of North Rampart street, its horn was blown. Under these circumstances, under the provisions of Ordinance No. 7490 C. C. S., paragraphs “A,” “B,” and “D” of section 7, article 1, the Chevrolet was entitled to the right-of-way across the lake side of North Rampart street, and defendant’s car, which was approaching that driveway, should, have stopj ped and should have accorded to the Chevrolet that right to which it was entitled under the provisions of the ordinance to which we have referred. We are well convinced that defendant’s Packard was approaching at an exceedingly rapid rate of speed and also that we are not in error in reaching the conclusion that,. in this regard, there was negligence chargeable to defendant.

But, although the driver of defendant’s car was at fault in the ¡particular referred' to, it does not necessarily follow that that, negligence was the sole cause of the resulting collision, because the ordinance does not give to him who is crossing the absolute and. immediate right to proceed just because he has stopped on the neutral ground and has sounded his horn. His right to proceed does not come into existence until he has not only stopped and blown his horn, but has also afforded to those who may be on the driveway he wishes to enter sufficient time to stop their cars, for, under the provisions of the ordinance itse.lf, he may obtain the right to cross, "provided the vehicle shall come to a full stop, when about to leave the neutral ground and enter the roadway, shall signal with horn, and give opportunity for approaching vehicles in the roadway to come to a stop.” Dunbar v. Haul, 12 La. App. 605, 126 So. 705, 706; Breaux v. Cangelosi, 10 La. App. 765, 123 So. 151.

That defendant’s Packard was not afforded an opportunity to stop is very evident from the fact of the accident itself and also from the testimony of the driver of the Chevrolet, who states that he did not even see the Packard:

“Q. Did you look down Rampart street to see if there were any automobiles coming?
“A. I looked down and seen no car coming.
“Q. You saw no car coming?
“A.. No.
“Q. Was there any obstruction in the street to prevent you from seeing if there was a car coming?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. If there was a car coming down that street, you could have seen it if you looked?
“A. I looked.
“Q. And you didn’t see a car coming?
“A. No, sir.”

That the Packard car was there and was approaching him is, of course, mánifest from the subsequent collision and also from the testimony of plaintiff, who states [517]*517that he saw the Packard when the Chevrolet was stopped on the neutral ground and when the Packard was still about a half block away:

“Q. When you say the car stopped in the neutral ground before attempting to cross Rampart street, did you then look down Rampart street?
“A. Yes, I looked.
“Q. You looked, did you?
“A. Yes.
“Q. You could see down that street plainly, couldn’t you?
“A. Sure.
“Q. Did you see any car coming?
“A. Saw it coming pretty near half a block, something like that.”

Since the car was coming with its lights shining, it is evident that Fey, the driver of the Chevrolet, did not, in reality, look, because he must have seen it had he looked, and thus we can easily account for his failure to afford the Packard sufficient time to come to a stop.

Thus Fey, the driver of the Chevrolet, was also negligent and, but for his negligence in driving into the roadway immediately in front of the approaching Packard, the accident would not have occurred.

Since, then, both drivers were at fault, neither could recover from the other had either sustained injuries or other loss, but the question becomes more involved when we recall that it is not the driver of the Chevrolet who is plaintiff, but Williams, his guest, who exercised no control over and had no power to direct him.

Under these circumstances, that the negligence of the driver is not to be imputed to the guest is no longer a debatable question. Churchill v. Texas & Pacific Ry. Co., 151 La. 726, 92 So. 314-315; Daull v. N. O. Ry. & Light Co., 147 La. 1012, 86 So. 477; Luke et ux. v. M. L. & T. R. R. & S. S. Co., 147 La. 30, 84 So. 483; Chopin v. Levy et al., 12 La. App. 567, 125 So. 142.

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Bluebook (online)
131 So. 857, 15 La. App. 515, 1931 La. App. LEXIS 26, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-lenfant-lactapp-1931.