Youngstown Ice Co. v. Lewis

13 Ohio Law. Abs. 111, 1932 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1244
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 18, 1932
StatusPublished

This text of 13 Ohio Law. Abs. 111 (Youngstown Ice Co. v. Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Youngstown Ice Co. v. Lewis, 13 Ohio Law. Abs. 111, 1932 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1244 (Ohio Ct. App. 1932).

Opinion

FARR, J.

It is insisted in the first instance that there was error in the charge of the trial court, and it may be observed in passing that the petition declares upon some five different grounds of negligence. It is well understood, in this jurisdiction that loss of earnings are known as special damages, and that in order to recover for the same there must be an allegation in the petition, or the issue must be raised by testimony in the progress of the trial, and which is admitted without objection. There was no declaration for special damages on the ground of loss of earnings. The pleader is to be commended in this behalf, because it is disclosed that at that time, or at least immediately after the accident, there was no loss of earnings. Mary Lewis was employed in a clerical position in one of the banks of the city of Youngstown, perhaps the First National, in which she operated a machine necessary in keeping bank accounts. After this accident and her necessary absence for some few days, it is admitted that her wages were paid by the bank for that period. The trial court instructed the jury as follows:

“She would be entitled further to be compensated for any loss of earnings that have directly and naturally resulted, as shown by the evidence, from the injuries so received as claimed by her, due to the negligence on the part of the defendant, and she would be entitled to recover compensation for loss of earning power naturally resulting, if any is shown with reasonable certainty from the evidence, or will result in the future as a direct and proximate result of the injuries received by her due to the negligence as claimed by her of the defendant.”

It is claimed in this connection that inasmuch as the petition does not declare for special damages upon the ground of loss of earnings, that this was an improper instruction. It is true that the trial court said “as shown by the evidence.” However, it is contended that there was no testimony disclosed in this case which shows any loss of earnings, and that is true. There is another statement in this charge, “and she would be entitled to recover compensation for loss of earning power.” It is necessary to differentiate between the “loss of earnings” and the “loss of earning power.” There is certainly a decided difference between the two. “Loss of earnings” would be the pecuniary loss sustained by reason of the accident. “Loss of earning power” might apply to much more than the position occupied at the time by the person; for instance, it is asserted in this case that Mary Lewis afterwards had some difficulty with her arm, so that certain movements could not be made and that it interfered with the operation of the machine which she operated in the bank. It might also apply to other positions which subsequently she might assume to hold and perform the duties thereof.

For a case sustaining the view of the plaintiff in error, the case of Henry Wright v Youngstown Municipal Railway Company, (9 Abs 553; 9 Abs 359), is cited, a case decided by this court. Henry Wright was injured and a damage claim was filed in his behalf against the party whom he [113]*113charged with negligence, and an instruction very similar was given to that in the instant case. However, the controlling factor in deciding the issue in the Henry Wright case was that there was no. proof whatsoever of the amount of the loss of earnings which he sustained by reason of the injury. He gathered up wood over the city of Youngstown, and there was no testimony going to show the value of his services in gathering up the wood, so there is somewhat of a difference in the two cases, save and except that the general principle is applicable to both cases, as above stated, and that is unless there is a declaration for special damages because loss of earnings or unless the issue is raised in the proof, that it is an incorrect instruction to the jury, and in the instant case the jury would certainly have in mind that it had been instructed to make such finding for loss of earnings as the evidence might disclose, and there . being no testimony to disclose such loss, it follows that the fore part of the instruction was incorrect and constitutes prejudicial error.

It is true that there is an allegation in the petition as follows:

“Plaintiff further avers that as a result of this accident she was required to be absent from her employment for a period of time, and since the accident occurred the injuries which she received have greatly interfered with the performance of her duties, both in the office where she is employed, as well as her household duties.”

Again the pleader is to be commended for having alleged the facts as the testimony discloses in this case, but the allegation is not broad enough to include loss of earnings, so that ground of error can not avail in the instant case.

It is worthy of note that many authorities and cases are cited to sustain the contention of the plaintiff in error as above, 17 C. J., 99, and numerous other cases. Some of interest in this jurisdiction is Hanna v Stoll, 112 Oh St, 344; 6 Thompson on Negligence, §7307; Traction Company v Smith, 14 Oh Ap, 388; Taxi. Company v McGrew, 16 Oh Ap, 219, and numerous other cases which are cited and which are upon the point in the instant case.

The next and last assignment for error which was pressed in argument is to the admission of testimony of Dr. Skipp. Dr. Lindsay was" the family physician of Mary Lewis and testified at considerable length. Dr. Skipp was called as a medical expert; that is to say, he was called to examine the injured person, and after having done so he testified as to the result of his examination. It is perhaps sufficient to say that Dr. Skipp would have been entitled to testify to any objective symptoms which he found, such as cuts, abraisions, bruises, those things which are discernible upon examination of the body, but not to subjective symptoms; that is, where the person examined makes a complaint that they suffer pain or states that a certain condition has resulted in the way of subjective symptoms, and the rule obtaining in such cases is contended to be for the reason that to permit a medical expert to so testify would be to permit him to state to the jury the complaints made by the injured person, and which would be in the nature of self serving declarations.

The testimony of Dr. Skipp about which complaint is made, is found at pages 98, 99, 100 et seq. On page 100 is found a statement of Dr. Skipp which illustrates the character of the testimony to which objection is made, and which it is contended was not admissible, so far as medical expert evidence is concerned:

“Q. In other words, you can’t put a rigidity into muscles by just wanting to?
A. No sir, not a group of muscles; that is, you may put a whole arm in a rigid condition. In this area, the individual complained of pain, the motion in that part of her back, that is, in the right coapular region, just below it or right shoulder blade, wasn’t, the expansion in breathing was retarded, that is, it didn’t go right in as well as on the left side.”

Now, the part complained of was that the doctor was permitted to say that in this area the individual complained of pain. The expert medical examination in this instance says that he made an examination from head to foot. As far as any objective symptoms were concerned, his testimony would be competent, but what say the authorities in this jurisdiction as to this, class of testimony, relating to subjective symptoms?

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Related

Reid v. Yellow Cab Co.
279 P. 635 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1929)
Youngstown Municipal Railway Co. v. Wright
9 Ohio Law. Abs. 359 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1930)
Youngstown Municipal Railway Co. v. Wright
9 Ohio Law. Abs. 553 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1930)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
13 Ohio Law. Abs. 111, 1932 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1244, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/youngstown-ice-co-v-lewis-ohioctapp-1932.