Clarken v. Rosenberg
Clarken v. Rosenberg
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff recovered a judgment for the amount charged for medical and surgical attendance rendered to a Mrs. Carew at the request, as alleged, of the defendant. The defense was a denial of the making of any promise to pay, and also that the promise, if made, was collateral and not in writing.
The circumstances are a little out of the ordinary. It appears that Mrs. Carew was a patient of the defendant who is a dentist, and that the defendant was desirous of making use of Mrs. Carew as an exhibit in his line at some meeting in Yew York, and, accordingly, invited her to go there. Por some reason, Mrs. Carew’s car was used for the trip, but at her request the defendant, Eosenberg, drove the car, and while on the way there was a collision as a result of which Mrs. Carew’s nose was very badly fractured and she was taken to the hospital, and attended in the first instance by a young interne named Sbarra. Defendant, Eosenberg, was
The first reason urged is that the court erred in refusing to nonsuit, and stress is laid on the fact that plaintiff did not testify that Sbarra told him the defendant was his employer. That, however, would not, in our estimation, lead to a nonsuit. It is also urged that the evidence shows a collateral promise. Our view is to the contrary. If the testimony above recited is to be believed, it would seem fairly clear that the defendant assumed the immediate responsibility for the surgeon’s bill, that' he authorized Sbarra to employ a proper surgeon, and that the plaintiff accepted the employment with that understanding.
The second reason is the failure of the court to direct a verdict, and this is controlled by the same considerations just stated.'
Reasons 3 to 7 go to the weight of evidence. The questions in the case were for the jury, and we are unable to say that they reached a wrong finding on the evidence.
The last reason is that the damages are excessive. The amount claimed was $900, and the jury found a verdict for that amount. We are similarly unable to say that this verdict was excessive. The injuries were very severe and required the best of skilled treatment over a somewhat extended period.
The rule to show cause will be discharged.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- JOSEPH A. CLARKEN v. LEWIS ROSENBERG
- Status
- Published