Houston Packing Co. v. Johnson
Houston Packing Co. v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff, Berndt Johnson, brought this suit against the defendant, Houston Packing Company, to recover damages in the sum of $10,000 for personal injuries sustained by him by reason of being struck and run over by a wagon of defendant drawn by a team of mules negligently and recklessly driven by defendant's servant upon the public streets of the city of Galveston. As defendant makes no .contention on this appeal that the facts disclosed no actionable negligence on its part, it. is thought to be unnecessary to set out the various grounds of negligence pleaded by plaintiff. The defendant answered by general denial and a plea of contributory negligence. The case was tried before a jury, and resulted in a verdict and judgment for plaintiff for $600, from which judgment the defendant has appealed.
The defendant asked the court to give to the jury its special charge No. 1, which was a peremptory instruction to find for defendant. It contends that the uncontradieted evidence shows that plaintiff was himself guilty of negligence which proximately caused his injuries, and that he could not therefore recover, and for that reason the charge should have been given.
The evidence in the record justifies the following fact findings: Strand street, in the city of, Galveston, runs east and west, and crosses Tremont street at right angles. Plaintiff was riding on a bicycle on Strand, going east and toward Tremont street, and was on the right-hand side of the street, close to the curbing. A brewery team drawing a wagon was being driven on Strand, going west and also toward Tremont street, and, contrary to the ordinances of the city of Galveston, was on the left-hand side of the *694 street. Closely following the brewery wagon, and also on the left-hand side of the street, was the team and wagon of defendant, driven by defendant’s servant. The drivers of both wagons were racing, and driving at a' rate of speed in excess of that allowed by the ordinances of the city of Galveston. Just about the time plaintiff reached the western side of Tremont street, the brewery wagon reached the eastern side, and then suddenly turned south into Tremont street, going at such a pace as to cause the wagon, as one witness says, to run on two wheels. Just before this wagon made this turn, the plaintiff, in order to avoid the brewery wagon, which was apparently headed for him, turned to the left, and when the brewery wagon made the turn the wagon of defendant, coming close behind, continued across Tremont street and, before plaintiff could avoid it, ran upon him and inflicted the injuries for which he sues. The brewery wagon, being immediately ahead of the defendant’s wagon, obscured plaintiff’s vision and prevented him from seeing the latter; and he did not know of its presence there until the brewery wagon made the turn. Plaintiff, upon observing the approach of the brewery wagon, did not stop, nor did he dismount from the bicycle, but continued riding in the direction of the oncoming wagon until near the point where he thought they would meet, and then turned to avoid it.
We find no reversible error in the record, and the judgment of the court below is affirmed.
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.