Yellow Cab Company v. Allen

1962 OK 271, 377 P.2d 220, 1962 Okla. LEXIS 523
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 18, 1962
Docket39196
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 1962 OK 271 (Yellow Cab Company v. Allen) 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
Yellow Cab Company v. Allen, 1962 OK 271, 377 P.2d 220, 1962 Okla. LEXIS 523 (Okla. 1962).

Opinion

DAVISON, Justice.

This is an appeal by Yellow Cab Company (herein referred to as appellant) from a judgment rendered on jury verdict in favor of Elizabeth L. Allen (plaintiff below and herein referred to as plaintiff) in an action by plaintiff for damages for personal injuries growing out of a collision of automobiles.

Plaintiff filed her action on March 4, 1957, against Yellow Cab Company of Lawton and Herman J. Barrett alleging that on March 4, 1955, she was a passeng-er in a Yellow Cab that was proceeding south on Sixth Street in Lawton, Oklahoma, and that at the intersection of Sixth Street and Dearborn Street the cab collided with a car driven by Herman J. Barrett; that the cab" and Barrett car were both being operated in a careless and negligent manner and alleged such careless and negligent acts; that she suffered certain described injuries to her head, neck, throat and spine, whereby she was damaged to the extent of $15,-000 for personal injuries, $6,000 for loss of earning capacity and $500 medical expense. The summons directed the sheriff to serve Doyle Williams, d/b/a Yellow Cab Company, and the summons was served on Doyle Williams. After a number of motions were disposed of, the plaintiff, on June 28, 1957, filed an amended petition, naming “Doyle Williams, surviving partner, d/b/a Yellow Cab Company, Lawton, Oklahoma,” and Herman J. Barrett as defendants. Thereafter Yellow Cab Company filed an answer consisting of a general denial; an admission that an automobile accident occurred on March 4, 1955, at the intersection of South 7th Street and D Avenue in the City of Lawton, in which plaintiff was riding in a Yellow cab that collided with a car driven by Herman J. Barrett; and alleged contributory negligence and unavoidable accident.

At the conclusion of the trial the jury returned a verdict for plaintiff against Doyle Williams, d/b/a Yellow Cab Company for $15,300 and that plaintiff have no recovery against Barrett. The trial court, in rendering judgment on the verdict, recited the verdict and rendered judgment for plaintiff against “Defendant, Yellow Cab Company.” Appeal was perfected to this court.

Appellant first contends that the trial court erred in failing to adjudge that plaintiff’s action was barred by the two year statute of limitations. In support of this contention appellant argues that the petition alleged the accident occurred at Sixth and Dearborn Streets, whereas the answer stated, and all the evidence reflected the accident occurred at Seventh and D Streets, and that the petition as amended by the proof sets out a new and different *223 cause of action long 'after the statute of limitations had run. There is no contention and in fact the proof does not show that there were two separate accidents between the same parties on the same date at the different respective locations. The pleadings and the proof reflect that plaintiff’s action was for injuries received as a result of a single collision.

We regard this as being, at most, a variance between the allegations of the petition and the proof only as to the location of the collision between the motor vehicles. From appellant’s answer and the evidence produced it is obvious that appellant was all times cognizant of the true state of facts and that appellant was not prejudicially misled.

In Liberty Plan Co. v. Francis T. Smith Lumber Co., Okl., 360 P.2d 500, 503, we stated:

“ * * * No variance between the allegations in a pleading and the proof will be deemed material or fatal unless it appear to the satisfaction of the court that it has actually misled the adverse party to his prejudice. The burden rests on the aggrieved litigant to show in what manner he has been misled. * * * ”

Appellant cites Fowler v. City of Seminole, 202 Okl. 635, 217 P.2d 513, as supporting the above contention. The decision is not in point. In the Fowler case the plaintiff first sought recovery for loss of his water franchise rights and, after the limitation period had run, abandoned such cause of action and by amendment sought recovery for damages to the water system, thereby introducing a new and different cause of action.

Appellant further contends that the trial court erred in overruling its motion to have the judgment conform to the jury verdict. As stated the verdict was against Doyle Williams, d/b/a Yellow Cab Company and the trial court rendered judgment on the verdict against Yellow Cab Company.

The record reflects that prior to plaintiff filing her amended petition the court heard testimony in connection with a number of preliminary motions presented by the parties. This testimony showed that at the time of the accident on March 4, 1955, Yellow Cab Company of Lawton was a partnership consisting of Doyle Williams and one Andy Jordan and that Jordan had died prior to plaintiff filing her action. There was evidence Mrs. Jordan then acquired her husband’s interest. With leave of court the plaintiff then filed her amended petition against Doyle Williams, surviving partner d/b/a Yellow Cab Company of Lawton, Oklahoma. Obviously plaintiff regarded the original partnership as dissolved and the record does not reflect any effort or action thereafter by plaintiff to make any change in the designation of the person sued in the amended petition. The verdict against Doyle Williams, d/b/a Yellow Cab Company was consistent with the descriptive language in the instructions and no objections were made to the instructions by the parties. In Moore v. Diehm, 200 Okl. 664, 199 P.2d 218, we stated:

“Where a partnership has ■ been dissolved before an action is commenced for recovery on an obligation of the partnership incurred before its dissolution, such action may be maintained and judgment rendered against the individuals formerly comprising the partnership and no judgment can be rendered against the partnership as such.”

See also Aetna Casualty and Surety Co. v. Wofford, Okl., 296 P.2d 967, 60 A.L.R.2d 821.

Plaintiff contends the judgment is correct and argues that since the answer did not deny the partnership and was not verified then the partnership entity was admitted. The fallacy of this argument is apparent. In her amended petition plaintiff did not sue a partnership entity but sued an individual as surviving partner d/b/a Yellow Cab Company. We cannot see how, with this situation, an unverified answer that *224 does not deny partnership, would convert the action into one against an alleged existing partnership entity. Plaintiff framed her pleading on the theory that the defendant was a surviving partner. In Lenz v. Young, Okl., 307 P.2d 844, the action involved recovery for a partnership obligation and we applied the following rule to the plaintiff’s theory of the action:

“ ‘A party bringing an action is required to frame his pleading in accord with some definite, certain theory, and the relief to which he claims to be entitled must be in accord therewith; on appeal he is bound by the position and theory assumed, and on which the case was heard in the trial court.’ ”

The record furnishes no explanation and reflects no motion or request for a judgment different from that set forth in the verdict. In M & P Stores v.

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1962 OK 271, 377 P.2d 220, 1962 Okla. LEXIS 523, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yellow-cab-company-v-allen-okla-1962.