Buttner v. Omaha Public Power District
Buttner v. Omaha Public Power District
Opinion of the Court
This is an action brought under the Nebraska Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act to recover for fire damage to an apartment building. During a storm an electric conductor or line broke and was blown on to plaintiffs’ apartment house. A fire ensued which plaintiffs attribute to the downed conductor. Plaintiffs allege negligence in that defendant failed to install a fuse on the tap leading from the main line to the apartment building and in incorrectly setting relays on the circuit breakers in the substation. On trial to the court, judgment was entered for the defendant. We affirm the judgment of the District Court.
It is’ clear that' the fire was started by the electrical conductor. The evidence is conflicting as to whether or not negligence on the part of defendant caused the fire and ensuing damage. The evidence is sufficient to support a finding by the court that the facts are as hereinafter set forth. A three-phase tap or branch line served the apartment and the Richman Gordman mercantile establishment. Two services supplied the apartment complex, one a three phase and the other a single phase or line. One of the three-phase lines broke during a storm as the result of the storm and of ice formation. The wind blew the broken line on to the apartment roof. For a time the end of the line blew in the wind occasionally contacting the side of the building near the ground. It broke a second time a considerable period
Section 23-2406, R. R. S. 1943, requires that actions of this nature shall be heard without a jury but otherwise determined in the same manner as other suits. The action is similar to a law action in which a jury has been waived and is governed by the same rules.
“It is not within tfye province, of this court in a law action to resolve conflicts in or to.,weigh evidence. If there is a conflict in the, evidence, this .court.will review the judgment rendered, will presume, the controverted facts were decided by the trial court in favor of the
“The findings of the court in a law action in which a jury is waived have the effect of a verdict of' the jury and will not be disturbed on appeal unless clearly wrong.” Stauffer v. Wilson, 182 Neb. 129, 153 N. W. 2d 454. See, also, McBride v. Fort Kearney Hotel, Inc., 185 Neb. 518, 176 N. W. 2d 911.
As we have heretofore held: “On an appeal to this court of ah action under the State Tort Claims Act the findings of the trial court will not be disturbed unless clearly wrong.” ■ Cortes v. State, 191 Neb. 795, 218 N. W. 2d 214. See, also, Craig v. Gage County, 190 Neb. 320, 208 N. W. 2d 82.
In view of the contradictory and inconclusive nature of the evidence, we are unable to find error on the part of the trial court and the judgment is- affirmed.
Affirmed.
Concurring Opinion
concurring in result.
P concur in the result because on the record there existed a disputed question of fact as to whether industry standards would require the setting of the relays and fusing of the tap in such a manner as to have prevented the arcing which may have caused the fire. The trial' court would therefore have been justified in finding, as the majority opinion notes, that such failure was not negligence.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- C. R. Buttner Et Al., Doing Business as Action, Inc., Appellants, v. Omaha Public Power District, a Political Subdivision, Appellee
- Cited By
- 13 cases
- Status
- Published