Maddi v. Lindberg
Maddi v. Lindberg
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
On September 30, 1948, the plaintiff Alexander Maddi was a passenger in a Dodge coupe owned by the defendant Charles Lindberg, Jr., and driven by the defendant Victor II. Lindberg. It was raining “and the pavement was slippery as can be.” The coupe was traveling at the rate of 35 miles per hour as it approached the Hackensack
The foregoing circumstances appear from the plaintiff’s testimony and the legitimate inferences which may be drawn therefrom in his favor. Dobrow v. Hertz, 125 N. J. L. 347 (E. & A. 1940). At the close of his case the defendants moved for dismissal which was granted by the lower court on the ground that there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the defendants. The plaintiff’s appeal is from the ensuing judgment of dismissal and we consider that it is well taken. The evidence that the coupe was being driven negligently seems ample. A jury could readily find that, in view of the prevailing conditions, Victor II. Lindberg’s conduct in driving the coupe at 40 miles per hour along or by the wet trolley tracks was not that of the ordinary prudent man. It could likewise find that his negligent conduct resulted in placing the coupe in its dangerous location along the west lane of 1 raffle and contributed directly to the accident and injury. Vadurro v. Yellow Cab Co. of Camden, 8 N. J. Super. 208 (App. Dir. 1950) ; affirmed, 6 N. J. 102 (1950).
While the testimony as to the Autocar truck was not as persuasive as that referable to the coupe, we are nonetheless satisfied that it was legally sufficient to withstand the motion for dismissal. Accepting the plaintiff’s testimony and the inferences therefrom, the Autocar truck was being driven at a high rate of speed despite the adverse condition of the road, and although it was 100 feet away when the coupe first appeared on the west lane it was not brought to a stop within time and struck with sufficient force to cause extensive damage. A jury could properly find that the Autocar truck was being
The judgment is reversed with costs to abide the event of a new trial.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.