Elfers v. Schuff & Sons Hotel Co.
Elfers v. Schuff & Sons Hotel Co.
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought by William Elfers, as administrator of the estate of his minor son, Henry Elfers, to recover damages for wrongful death alleged due to the negligence in the construction and maintenance of an elevator in the Palmer House, a hotel in Grand Island.
Thereafter on March 23, 1932, this case was tried to a jury on the first amended petition and a verdict returned in favor of plaintiff for $5,506.83. A motion for new trial was sustained. On September 28, 1932, over eight years after the accident and after two jury trials, the plaintiff asked leave to amend his first amended petition by inserting the following: “That the defendant failed, neglected, and refused to secure and carry liability insurance, or furnish the compensation commissioner with satisfactory proof of its financial ability to pay compensation, as provided by section 48-146, Compiled Statutes of Nebraska for 1929, and thereby elected not to come under the provisions of the workmen’s compensation law of Nebraska.” This motion was overruled.
By stipulation, a jury was waived and the case submitted to the trial judge for decision upon the evidence and the record had at the last trial to a jury. The trial judge
At the last trial, the court made a finding and entered a judgment on the pleadings and the evidence. The motion for new trial was sustained, the findings and judgment were set aside and a dismissal entered. A new judgment was entered on the pleadings and the evidence against the plaintiff, who filed no motion for new trial. “The trial court’s judgment of dismissal thereupon entered was the same in force and effect as if originally made and entered ‘at the close of the evidence.’ The plaintiff thereupon became the ‘aggrieved party,’ vested with the right to file and present a motion for new trial. Comp. St. 1929, secs. 20-1142, 20-1143. This, the record before us discloses, he failed to do. No motion for a new trial in behalf of the plaintiff appearing in this record, the only question for this court presented thereby is- the determination of whether the answer of the defendant supports the judgment entered. We are not permitted to go back of this judgment of the trial court to review anything done or any proceedings had prior to the judgment. Johnson v. Songster, 73 Neb. 724; Farmers & Merchants Nat. Bank v. Mosher, 63 Neb. 130; Hansen v. Kinney, 46 Neb. 207.” Hamaker v. Patrick, 122 Neb. 688.
The answer of the defendant denies generally all the allegations of plaintiff’s petition, thus presenting a defense to plaintiff’s claim as set forth in his petition. In such a case, this court is required to affirm the judgment.
In view of the history of this protracted litigation over this unfortunate accident, it seems advisable to state, although unnecessary to a decision of the case, that a majority of the judges are of the opinion that the petition does not state a cause of action; that the amendment proposed more than four years after the accident should not
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.