Reed v. Regan
Reed v. Regan
Opinion of the Court
A hit and run automobile accident occurred on January 29, 1959. Mrs. Pearl E. Regan allegedly suffered physical injuries as a result of this accident. A complaint was filed by her on February 24, 1959, to recover damages for such injuries. Mr. W. R. Regan was appointed as administrator of the estate of Mrs. Regan who died since the filing of this suit on January 26, 1962. The trial occurred on October 21 and October 22, 1964. This is an appeal from the jury verdict entered thereon for appellee on October 22, 1964, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama, in the amount of one hundred dollars. The appellee does not contend that the death of Mrs. Regan was a result of this accident.
Count One alleged that John Doe, an agent of appellant, was the operator of appellant’s automobile at the time of the accident. More than one year after the accident the complaint was amended by adding Count Two. Count Two alleged that appellant left his automobile unattended while parked on a street; that the automobile had a broken ignition lock; and that John Doe took the automobile and negligently injured plaintiff’s intestate.
This amendment does not introduce a new and independent cause of action. The subject matter of both counts relates to the same transaction. Sec. 239, Tit. 7, Code of Alabama, 1940 (Recompiled 1958). Spurling v. Fillingim, 244 Ala. 172, 12 So.2d 740. The added count merely sets up a cause of action on a different legal principle. Sovereign Camp, W.O.W. v. Carrell, 218 Ala. 613, 119 So. 640.
There was no error in denying appellant’s motion to strike the amended complaint.
Count Two of the amended complaint attempted to state a cause of action for negligence on the theory that appellant had an automobile with a broken ignition switch; that the automobile was taken by a stranger who is unknown; and that this stranger so negligently operated the automobile that it hit appellee’s intestate causing injury to her.
When appellant left his automobile standing and unattended he violated Sec. 27, Tit. 36, Code of Alabama (Recompiled 1958), because of the undisputed fact that the ignition on his automobile was broken and it could not be properly locked. But the violation of a statute cannot be the basis of a recovery unless it is the proximate
The transcript does not fully comply with Rule 24 of the Rules of The Supreme Court.
The front of the first part of the tr'aii-script does not contain a correct witness1 index of the transcript. This rule contributes much to the convenience of the' consideration of causes in this court, and-should be observed. Green v. Bessemer; Coal, Iron & Land Co., 162 Ala. 609, 50 So. 289.
It is not clear from all the evidence that the verdict in appellee’s favor rested upon the first count of the complaint. Therefore, for the error in refusing to give the affirmative charge for appellant under Count Two, this cause must be
Reversed and remanded.
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