Bullock v. Chester & Darby Telford Road Co.
Bullock v. Chester & Darby Telford Road Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
On August 8, 1915, plaintiff was seriously injured by a fall from Ms motorcycle wMle traveling on defendant’s Telford turnpike between Chester and Darby, in Delaware County, and brought this suit to recover the damages thereby sustained; his allegation being that he was thrown from his motorcycle when it sank into holes or ruts, suffered to remain in the bed of the turnpike. The ruts were shown to be of such a character as to render the question of defendant’s negligence one for the jury.
The paved roadway was about twenty feet wide and, as plaintiff had passed over it a few minutes before the accident, it is,urged he should have known of and avoided the alleged defects; also that he was negligent in driving into the ruts in broad daylight. Plaintiff, however, says he drove over on the opposite side of the road and failed to see the ruts, ás he was looking ahead, and that on his return they were not in sight until he had passed the summit of the hill, when it was too late to avoid them. In view of this testimony, the question of contributory negligence was for the jury. In Bean v. Phila., 260 Pa. 278, a nonsuit was granted because plaintiff had for seventy-five feet a full view of the hole into which he drove, and therein this case differs from the present.
The third assignment of error is based upon the remarks of plaintiff’s counsel in his closing address to the jury, wherein he stated that “plaintiff lost in wages during fifteen weeks following the accident $577.50, [and] additional loss in wages to the time of trial, a total of $2,541.10, and that his loss in wages in the future would be $114.40 per year.” To this defendant made timely objection, and asked for the withdrawal of a juror. The request was refused and an exception sealed. The statements, however, were neither withdrawn nor modified by counsel, nor did the trial judge caution the jury to scrutinize or disregard them; so they impliedly had judicial sanction (Walsh v. Wilkes-Barre, 215 Pa. 226).
The third assignment of error is sustained and thereupon the judgment is reversed and a venire facias de novo awarded.
Reference
- Cited By
- 18 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence—Turnpike road—Hole in road—Motorcycle—Contributory negligence—Case for jury. . 1. In an action against a turnpike road company for personal injury resulting from the sinking of a motorcycle in broad daylight into ruts in the road, the question of plaintiff’s contributory negli- ‘ gence is for the Jury, where the evidence shows that, although plaintiff had passed over the road a few, minutes before, he testifies that he drove on the opposite side of the road and failed to see the ruts, as he was looking ahead, and that on his return they were not in sight until he had passed the gummit of a hill, when it was too late to avoid them. Negligence—Damages — Remarles of counsel as lo amounls — Failw'e io' withdraw juror. 2. The verdict in an action of tort should be a deduction drawn by the jury from the evidence, and not a mere formal adoption of calculations submitted by counsel. 3. Where counsel in addressing the jury makes an unfounded claim for damages which the trial judge, on request, fails to correct by withdrawing a juror, the verdict should be set aside, although the true measure of damages may appear in the general charge.