Allo v. Jefferson
Allo v. Jefferson
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff, Vic Alio, then a minor serving in the Army, was a guest passenger riding behind the operator of a motorcycle when the motorcycle and a truck collided on a rural highway between Bellvue and Benton about 200 feet east of the Bayou Bodcaw bridge in 1965. After a trial in 1974, and from a judgment rejecting his demands for personal injuries, Alio appeals. We affirm.
Plaintiff sued the driver of the truck and the truck owner’s liability insurer. Testimony concerning the liability issues was given by Alio, by the driver and by a guest passenger in the truck, and by an eyewitness (Miller) who was not otherwise involved in the collision. Miller was standing with still another person (Roberts) near the scene (“across the street” as he described it). The truck was a tractor-lowboy trailer of conventional type used in oil field work in this area. It was not loaded at the time of the accident, about 4:00 p. m. on a clear, dry October day. No other traffic was involved.
The highway near the scene is a blacktop state highway. Once it enters the Bayou Bodcaw bottom lands it is relatively straight, with shoulders limited to about 2 feet for a distance of approximately 400 feet approaching the bridge. The highway extends through the bottom lands as a “dump”, with water from the Bayou on each side of the highway, which the witnesses called “deep”. Both vehicles were proceeding westerly on the dump, approaching the bridge.
The motorcycle was on the left side and left shoulder of the highway, traveling at a speed of 15-20 mph as estimated by Alio in a deposition in 1967. Alio and his driver were riding in this fashion looking at turtles in the water to their left when the truck rounded the curve about 400 feet behind them. Jefferson and his guest passenger saw the motorcycle at this time and kept it under observation.
The truck was then traveling at about 40^45 mph but reduced its speed to an estimated 25-30 mph upon seeing the motorcycle. The posted speed limit was 60 mph. The truck at all times remained in its proper lane.
Allo’s memory of the accident at best, was sketchy. At least three times on cross-examination his testimony at the trial was impeached or his memory was otherwise refreshed from his 1967 deposition. He did not testify to any facts which lead us to conclude that the truck driver breached any duty towards the motorcycle riders.
After seeing the motorcycle, Jefferson blew the truck’s horn one or more times. The eyewitness Miller testified the horn blew several times, first when a distance of 30-40 yards separated the truck and motorcycle. The guest passenger and driver of the truck, and the eyewitness generally are in agreement that the motorcycle and truck were traveling at about the same speed, and were “about even with” or were “4-5 feet from” each other when the motorcycle veered almost perpendicularly from its left lane immediately into the front of the truck. The driver and passenger in the truck testified the driver then applied his brakes and steered from the right lane as far as he could go on the limited width of the road shoulder. The eyewitness corroborates this. The driver and passenger testified that when the motorcycle cut in front of the truck, the driver blew the truck horn. The truck driver’s attempt to avoid the accident was unsuccessful and the collision occurred.
From our review of Allo’s testimony, and particularly his admissions as to his statements in the 1967 deposition,
The trial court found the truck driver negligent in attempting to pass to the right of the motorcycle “upon seeing the dangerous position of the motorcycle ahead and the unusual conduct of the driver and passenger.”
For the reasons assigned, the judgment rejecting plaintiff’s demands is affirmed.
Affirmed.
. Also pertinent here is plaintiff’s contention that the doctrine of last clear chance or discovered peril should apply to impose liability.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
In his written reasons for judgment the trial judge stated:
“ . . . The plaintiff was a passenger on a motorcycle riding behind the driver, Mr. Lyle J. Brault. They were both engaged in looking for turtles in the ditches on each side of the road. At this point the road was dry, straight and level, it being a two-lane black-top road with ditches on each side. The plaintiff testified that Lyle J. Brault pointed to the ditch to the left and then drove the motorcycle into the left lane of the highway and reduced his speed to about 15 to 20 miles per hour and both were engaged in watching the ditch as they traveled down the highway. At this point he heard a horn blow and the driver swung back to the right side of the road where the collision resulted.
“The defendant, Kassie B. Jefferson, driving a trailer-truck headed the same*707 direction as plaintiff was traveling’, saw the motorcycle ahead proceeding on the left side of the road. At this point he sounded the horn and continued on after slowing his speed. As defendant began to go past the motorcycle, the motorcycle suddenly cut back into the right hand lane and the collision resulted before he could avoid the accident and even though he again sounded his horn.
“Considering the above facts, it is my opinion that defendant, Kassie B. Jefferson, was negligent in attempting to pass to the right of the motorcycle upon seeing the dangerous position of the motorcycle ahead and the unusual conduct of the driver and passenger. It is also my opinion that the plaintiff, Vic Alio, was actively engaged with the driver in the distracting maneuver of looking into the ditches while on the wrong side of the road, that he heard defendant’s horn but failed to warn the driver of the motorcycle of that fact. Such independent negligence on the part of plaintiff was a contributing cause of the accident. Additionally, plaintiff assumed the risk of the consequences of such conduct.
I think the weight of the evidence supports the conclusion that the truck driver was negligent. However, I disagree with the finding of the lower court that Alio, the guest on the cycle to the rear of the driver, was contributorily negligent or assumed the risk. Assumption of risk and contributory negligence are special defenses which defendants have the burden of proving. There is no evidence in the record to support these special defenses.
Alio received serious injuries in the accident and I think the judgment should be reversed and plaintiff should be awarded a substantial sum for his personal injuries.
I respectfully dissent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jake ALLO, Individually and on behalf of his minor son, Vic Allo v. Kassie B. JEFFERSON
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published