Wilson v. Oklahoma Ry. Co.

1952 OK 316, 248 P.2d 1014, 207 Okla. 204, 1952 Okla. LEXIS 738
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 7, 1952
Docket34505
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 1952 OK 316 (Wilson v. Oklahoma Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Oklahoma Ry. Co., 1952 OK 316, 248 P.2d 1014, 207 Okla. 204, 1952 Okla. LEXIS 738 (Okla. 1952).

Opinion

WELCH, J.

This action was instituted by Floyd Wilson, a minor, by and through Felix Wilson, his father and next friend, against the Oklahoma Railway Company, a corporation, to recover damages for personal injuries which plaintiff alleges he received in a collision between one of defendant’s buses and a motorcycle on which plaintiff was riding as a passenger.

Plaintiff alleged, in substance, that on a certain date and time he was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle behind one P. E. Turner, who was operating the same in a northerly direction on South Robinson avenue, a north-south street in Oklahoma City; that as they moved on Robinson avenue and toward an intersection with Southwest 28th street, an east-west street, and *205 at a point about half-way between Southwest 29th street and Southwest 28th street, and as they started around a bus owned by the defendant, which bus was also proceeding north, and while the motorcycle was alongside the left front corner of the bus, and before either vehicle had reached the south line of the 28th street intersection, the bus driver turned the bus to his left and caused the bus to strike the motorcycle on which the plaintiff was riding, with a result that the plaintiff was seriously injured. Plaintiff alleged that the defendant, through its bus driver, was careless and negligent, and was the direct and proximate cause of the collision and plaintiff’s injuries, in that defendant failed to look before turning the bus; that defendant failed to give any signal of intention to make a left turn of the bus, this" in violation of a certain ordinance of the city; and that defendant made a sharp left turn across the center line of the roadway and not to the right of the center of an intersection, this in violation of a certain ordinance of the city.

The defendant, in pleading, denied all the allegations of negligence mentioned in the plaintiff’s petition, and averred that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. The defendant alleged, in substance, that immediately prior to and at the time of the collision the driver of the motorcycle on which plaintiff was riding was operating the vehicle in an undertaking to overtake and pass the defendant’s bus, and in such undertaking the motorcycle was driven to the left side of the roadway when approaching within fifty feet of the intersection and also in the intersection of Robinson and Southwest 28th streets, this in violation of a certain ordinance of the city, and that at such times the motorcycle was being operated at a speed in excess of the 30 mile per hour limit as prescribed by a certain ordinance of the city; that at all such times the bus was in a proper place and in plain view, and that plaintiff failed and neglected to take reasonable precaution to avoid being injured; that he failed to warn or remonstrate with the driver of the motorcycle in regard to his violations of said ordinances and his manner of operating the motorcycle; that plaintiff in such neglect contributed to the accident and his resulting injuries.

Plaintiff and other witnesses called by the plaintiff gave testimony to the effect that the bus and the motorcycle were driven and operated, in the manner and with the results, as is generally stated in the plaintiff’s petition.

According to other testimony, the bus was at all times kept and driven to the right of the center line of Robinson avenue as it proceeded northerly on Robinson, and toward the intersection of Robinson and Southwest 28th street; that so driven, the bus proceeded into the intersection, and after it had passed the center line of Southwest 28th street, it was turned to the left and across the center line of Robinson street at a point north of the center line of Southwest 28th street; that in this area of the intersection the motorcycle struck the bus. It was shown in the testimony that the bus in the approach to the intersection proceeded at a speed of 10 to 15 miles per hour, and in the intersection proceeded at a speed of 7 to 8 miles per hour; that at a time when the bus was in about the middle of the block of the approach to the intersection, a mechanical arm was raised on the side of the bus as was a proper signal of intention to make a left turn, and that such signal was continually exhibited to the time when the collision occurred. It was shown that the motorcycle on which the plaintiff was a passenger was driven northerly on Robinson street on the left side of the roadway and at a speed of 30 to 35 miles per hour, and that it so entered the intersection where it continued at such speed and to the left of the center line of Robinson street to a point to the north of the center line of Southwest 28th street, where it encountered the bus; that the crash guard on the side of the motor *206 cycle struck the left end of the front bumper guard of the bus.

The various city ordinances mentioned and set forth in the pleadings of the parties were introduced in evidence by stipulation of the parties. It was shown that plaintiff, a passenger on the motorcycle, at no time gave any warning or remonstrated with the driver of the motorcycle concerning a signal exhibited from the bus, or of the presence of the bus, or of the manner of the operation of the motorcycle.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant. From the judgment entered in accord with the verdict, the plaintiff has appealed.

The plaintiff contends the trial court erred in giving an instruction on contributory negligence for the reason there was no evidence introduced upon which an instruction concerning contributory negligence could be based.

It has been repeatedly held that a passenger or guest in or on a moving vehicle must use ordinary care for his own safety, and when the exercise of such care requires that he call the attention of the driver of the vehicle to approaching danger, he must do so or be open to the charge of contributory negligence. Stillwater Milling Co. v. Templin, 182 Okla. 309, 77 P. 2d 732, and Haynie v. Olson Drilling Co. et al., 189 Okla. 527, 118 P. 2d 230.

Herein, on consideration of all the circumstances in proof, there is presented a fact question as to whether the motorcycle on which plaintiff was riding was being operated in a negligent manner in approaching the intersection and the defendant’s bus, and as constituted a very real danger of collision, and as to whether such negligent operation and consequent danger was apparent to the plaintiff or should have been apparent to the plaintiff in the exercise of ordinary care for his own safety. With an affirmative finding as to these questions it was in the province of the jury to determine whether or not the plaintiff in a proper regard to his own safety was chargeable with a duty to remonstrate with the driver as to his manner of operation of the vehicle, and to call the attention of the driver to the approaching danger. It is admitted that the plaintiff gave no warning of approaching danger, nor made remonstrance with the driver of the motorcycle in regard to the manner of its operation.

We find that the evidence and pleadings call for an instruction on contributory negligence.

The plaintiff contends that certain instructions given by the trial court were in direct conflict with other instructions given to the jury.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1952 OK 316, 248 P.2d 1014, 207 Okla. 204, 1952 Okla. LEXIS 738, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-oklahoma-ry-co-okla-1952.