Clohan v. Kelso
Clohan v. Kelso
Opinion of the Court
J.—This was an action by the plaintiff against the defendant on account of the alleged negligence of the defendant in driving his automobile against the *68 plaintiff on or about June 30, 1914, at or near the intersection of West Twelfth Street and Flower Street in the city of Los Angeles; whereby the plaintiff received personal injuries. In answer to special interrogatories, the jury found that immediately preceding the collision the defendant was operating his automobile at the rate of twenty-five miles per hour, and that in the judgment of the jury such rate of speed was not negligent. A general verdict was rendered in favor of the defendant, who now appeals from an order granting a new trial.
One of the grounds upon which the motion for new trial was based was that the evidence is insufficient to justify the verdict of the jury that the defendant was free from negligence. Appellant contends that the verdict of the jury in his favor was so clearly in accord with the evidence that there was an abuse of discretion in the trial court in granting a new trial. This raises the only question in the case on this appeal.
The accident in question occurred in the middle of the afternoon, on a much-traveled street. A witness, whose place of business was at the same corner, stated that it is very seldom that you could see a block in either direction free of cars. Assuming, as did the court below, that the rate of speed permitted was controlled by the state law and not by a city ordinance limiting to ten miles per hour the rate of speed at that street intersection, it was the duty *69 of the defendant to drive his automobile “at a rate of speed not greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to the traffic and use of the highway. ’ ’ (Motor Vehicle Act of 1913 (Stats. 1913, p. 649), sec. 22, subd. b.) At the time of the accident, the plaintiff was walking toward the west across Flower Street on the south side of Twelfth Street, and the defendant was driving north on Flower Street. Defendant, according to his testimony, saw the plaintiff and his companion walking across the street, when defendant was 150 feet from them. Then, he says, before the accident, “Mr. Clohan hesitated and started on, facing me, with his hand in this position [indicating], as much as to say, ‘I have plenty of time. ’ Suddenly, as he got to a point beyond my clearance, he stepped back as though something unforeseen had caused him to step back— my recollection is that a car passed me and went on ahead of me.”
The argument of counsel for appellant is directed principally to criticism of an opinion filed by the court when the order granting a new trial was made. Whether that opinion is correct or not is not the issue to be determined here. The appeal is, as it must be, from the order, and not from the opinion.
The order is affirmed.
Shaw, J., and James, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FRANK E. CLOHAN, Respondent, v. ALBERT P. KELSO, Appellant
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published