Schaff v. R. W. Claxton, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal by the plaintiffs from a judgment for the defendant, upon a directed verdict, in a suit for personal injuries.
The complaint alleged that appellants were injured by the negligent operation of appellee’s truck by his agent. The only negligence alleged in the complaint was in the actual driving of the truck at the time of the accident. But the evidence showed that appellee’s driver left the truck, with the keys in it, in the parking space beside a restaurant to which he was delivering goods for appellee, and that employees of the restaurant drove off in the truck and injured appellants.
Squires v. Brooks
Appellee contends that the issues on appeal should be confined to those which were duly presented at the trial. This of course is commonly true. But this suit was tried before the Ross case had overruled the Squires case. Therefore appellant did not have a fair chance to raise and press at the trial, nor the court to pass upon, the point concerning the keys. “We have power not only to correct error in the judgment under review but to make such disposition of the case as justice requires. And in determining what justice does require, the Court is bound to consider any change, either in fact or in law, which has supervened since the judgment was entered.”
Remanded for a new trial.
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Regulations for the District of Columbia, § 58.
78 U.S.App.D.C. 217, 139 F.2d 14, 15. Cf. Maloney v. Kaplan, 233 N.Y. 426, 135 N.E. 838, 26 A.D.R. 909.
It was evidently not a proximate cause if, as some of the testimony tended to show, defendant’s driver invited the restaurant employee to take the car.
Patterson v. Alabama, 294 U.S. 600, 607, 55 S.Ct. 575, 578, 79 L.Ed. 1082.
Ruppert v. Ruppert, 77 U.S.App.D.C. 65, 68, 134 F.2d 497, 500.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
Plaintiffs brought this action, based on the presumption of agency arising from defendant’s ownership of the vehicle and the
Since, as I understand, we all agree that on the issue made the case was properly decided, I think we should affirm rather than send the case back for a new trial on a totally different issue.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SCHAFF Et Al. v. R. W. CLAXTON, Inc.
- Cited By
- 71 cases
- Status
- Published