Pine v. Haik
Pine v. Haik
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit for damages which plaintiff claims to have suffered to the extent of $260.00 for injury to his horse and huggy arising from a collision with defendant's automobile. The trial Court found for the plaintiff in the sum of $166.00, from vfcich judgment defendant has appealed.
The accident occurred on the wood-side of Burgundy Street, about 40 feet from the corner of Burgundy and St. Ferdinand Streets, in this City. It appears that about 8:30 o'clock on the night of April 29, 1928, while plaintiff's buggy and horse were standing at the above locality and during a heavy rainstorm, defendant's automobile struok the buggy on its rear left side, completely destroying the rear left wheel. The evidence is conflicting as to the nature or extent of damages to the horse, and the judgment of the trial Court does not show, except inferentially from the amount awarded, that the Court found both the animal and the buggy to have been injured. The horse and buggy wereeach valued by plaintiff at $125.00, while the judgment, as above stated, was for $166.00. The plaintiff and one of his witnesses are the only parties who testified that the horse was injured, the plaintiff swearing that one of the horse's legs was injured and that he was never able to use the horse from the time of the accident until its death four months thereafter. The plaintiff was not in his buggy when the accident occurred, but had taken shelter under a gallery or shed, to the post of which he had tied his horse. We are satisfied from the evidence that there was no light on the rear of the buggy. There was considerable argument before us over the evidence concerning the lantern on the dash-board of plaintiff's buggy and whether same was lighted at the moment of the accident or extinguished by either the
There is evidence in the record to the effeot that the total repairs to plaintiff's buggy would oost him §00.00. He has net claimed nor proven any damage for deprivation of its uso, and we think this amount should be allowed him for repairs. We do net think, however, from the nature of the evidence before us that plaintiff has satisfactorily proven that the aooident resulted in either injury to his horse or that it ultimately caused the animal's death. Plaintiff first swears, in describing the aooident, that the collision with his buggy threw the horse en. the curbing and that he ran to the animal and made him itand up, wnioh he oould hardly do. When asked by his Counsel what happened to his horse, he answered: "He died from breaking the leg; it gave him the look-jaw." immediately after this positive statement .made under oath, he relates the. story on the next page of his testimony
In the light of this oontradiotory ana unaatiafaotory ovidonoo, aa abova diaouoood, we are net able te oonolude that the plaintiff has establishad, by any oonvinoing faots, sd that the horse wae in any way injurad or that damages from the aooident have been suffered by the plaintiff in this respeot.
It is, therefore. ordered, adjudged and deoreed that
JUDGMENT AMENDED AND, AS AMENDED, AFFIRMED.
February 19, 1983.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.