Parker v. Harrell
Parker v. Harrell
Opinion of the Court
This suit was filed April 11, 1917, by C. A. Harrell against Houston Electric Company, G. J. Parker, and Motorcar Indemnity Exchange, for damages alleged to have been sustained May 7, 1917, by reason *543 of tlie collision of a jitney alleged to have been operated by defendant Parker with a street car, plaintiff alleging that he was a passenger in the jitney. Plaintiff alleged:
“When the automobile slid or skid along the back of defendant and along its rail, this plaintiff was thrown against the rear end of the street car with great force, and that the motion of the automobile edused the weight of his wife and daughter, who were sitting with him on the seat, to be thrown against him and to add to the force with which he struck the said street car; * * * that when he was impelled against the rear end of said street car he struck his head, his arm, his side, his hip, and his leg against said street car, and that he injured his head, his side, his arm, his leg and his back by the force of said collision, and that said injuries have crippled him so that he has been unable to walk and has been confined to his bed; that they have caused him intense pain and suffering, both on account of the injuries received and the shock of his injuries, and that he has been permanently injured by reason of the force with which he was thrown against the rear end of said street ear, and will never recover therefrom.”
Plaintiff sued Motorcar Indemnity Exchange, alleging that it had executed a bond as surety for the defendant Parker, as provided by the city ordinances of Houston.
Defendants Parker and Motorcar Indemnity Exchange filed a general demurrer and general denial, and that plaintiff’s alleged injuries were the result of another accident, sustained prior to the injuries as alleged in plaintiff’s petition.
Plaintiff dismissed his cause of action against the Houston Electric Company.
Defendant Parker et al. applied for a continuance, which was overruled; the court instructed the jury, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff for $600 against the defendants Parker and Motorcar Indemnity Exchange, and judgment was entered accordingly.
The second assignment of error complains: (1) The verdict of the jury anfi the judgment of the court are unsupported by the evidence in this cause; and (2) the verdict of the jury is against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence in this cause. Suffice it to say that this court is not of such an opinion, and, on the contrary, is of the opinion that the record fully establishes the judgment which the court entered in said cause. Therefore this assignment is overruled.
From the statement of facts, in so far as it relates to the testimony complained of, it is as follows:
“No complaint was made at that time by any one about being hurt; only I asked my father was be hurt, and he says, ‘Yes; I am hurt a little bit, but I hope not -much.’ My father did not say anything much about being hurt until after we got home, .and we came on to court, and the case was postponed, and when we got *544 ready to go home he said he was hurt. I do not know how long it was before we got home; it was not so awfully long'. We came up to the courthouse, and it was postponed, and we went straight home as soon as we could get a jitney. We kinda hurried to get home because papa said he was feeling bad.”
This appears to be the matter complained of in the bill of exception. Prom this record, we are not advised of anything else said by the daughter in the way of her father making a complaint. The error, under the rules, should be distinctly and specifically called to the' attention of the court in the motion for new trial, and, viewing the matter in the most favorable light for the complainant, we are of opinion that no error was committed, and the assignment is overruled.
“It is not hearsay, and it is not the conclusion of a witness, but a statement of fact that a party to the litigation was well at the time of the accident.” *
' Mrs. Harrell’s testimony was that her husband had recovered from a former accident some two years before he was injured in the accident in controversy. The record shows that no question on direct examination was asked Mrs. Harrell as to her husband’s declaration about' his injuries in the accident in controversy; but she testified on cross-examination by appellants’ attorney, as follows:
“He complained of his head, of his whole head. He was hit on the right side of his head; his head struck the street car. He was not thrown out of the automobile; his head was slammed against the side like that, that part of the street car that is cased in with tin or whatever you call it. His back and head is what he complained with, no other place.”
An examination of the record shows that no error was committed by the court in the matters complained of. Therefore these assignments are overruled.
In our opinion, the case was tried fairly and impartially, and the appellants have gotten the benefit of every right that should be accorded them. Therefore the judgment of the trial court is in all things affirmed.
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Reference
- Full Case Name
- PARKER Et Al. v. HARRELL
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published