Rust v. Washington Tool & Hardware Co.
Rust v. Washington Tool & Hardware Co.
Opinion of the Court
The respondent, while a customer in dhe store of appellant engaged in making purchases, fell into an open elevator shaft and injured his foot. He brought this action for damages, and recovered a .judgment for $2,500. An appeal is prosecuted in which errors are assigned upon the insufficiency of the evidence, the improper admission of evidence, and the denial of a new trial, based on improper instructions, misconduct of counsel, and excessiveness of the verdict.
The evidence shows that respondent, a man 78 years of age, residing in Grig Harbor, Washington, was in .appellant’s storeroom in the city of Tacoma purchasing various articles of hardware. Certain articles desired by him were located on the second floor of the building, and the clerk suggested that, in going to the place, they take the elevator. The clerk opened the door to the elevator and reached in to pull a rope to bring the car down from the floor above. The respondent, assuming that the car was in place, stepped into the ■shaft and fell some three feet to the bottom of the pit.
The appellant contends that there was error in permitting the nonexpert witnesses, who were fellow passengers on the boat with the respondent, to state their •opinions as to the latter’s mental condition. These witnesses testified that, at that time, the respondent was not in possession of his mental faculties. But this testimony was based on their observations of his physical condition, his evident suffering, and his incoherent ■speech, in the light of .their acquaintance with his previous condition. They were testifying to facts, and their opinions drawn from facts within their observation, not giving an opinion upon' a hypothetical question. Such evidence is admissible. State v. Brooks, 4 Wash. 328, 30 Pac. 147; In re Gorkow’s Estate, 20 Wash. 563, 56 Pac. 385; Higgins v. Nethery, 30 Wash. 239, 70 Pac. 489; State v. George, 58 Wash. 681, 109 Pac. 114; State v. Craig, 52 Wash. 66, 100 Pac. 167; Jones, Evidence (2d ed.), § 364.
It is also contended that there was error in allowing the introduction of evidence showing that the witness Hansen, who procured the release and the affidavit of exoneration from the respondent, was the agent of an insurance company which carried a liability policy on •the appellant’s elevator. This testimony was properly •elicited for the purpose of showing Hansen’s interest in the case with a view to affecting his- credibility. Moy Quon v. Furuya Co., 81 Wash. 526, 143 Pac. 99.
Error is assigned upon the court’s charge to the jury upon the matter of the release executed by the respond-ent. The court gave an instruction requested by the appellant which fully covered the matter from the standpoint of the appellant, and then went further and -covered varying features of the same question in half a dozen paragraphs outlining the law as applied to the
Misconduct of counsel for respondent in the closing argument is predicated upon the following remarks to the jury which, over the objection of the appellant, were allowed to stand:
“It was not competent evidence to show efforts looking towards a compromise or settlement of this action between the plaintiff and the defendant. You do not know what had taken place between these parties since the accident, and if you did know it might put a different aspect upon the case.”
This remark, standing alone, would in all probability be inexcusable, hut it was offered in answer to an equally improper utterance of opposing counsel, who had stated that a failure to prove efforts to compromise showed that plaintiff had been satisfied with the settlement. The error complained of by appellant was one invited by himself, and he cannot be heard now to urge it as prejudicial. Donaldson v. Great Northern R. Co., 89 Wash. 161, 154 Pac. 133.
The final contention of appellant is that the award of $2,500 for the injury sustained was excessive. The
The judgment is affirmed.
Ellis, C. J., Parker, Main, and Webster, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- H. H. Rust v. Washington Tool & Hardware Company
- Cited By
- 13 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Evidence—Opinion Evidence—Nonexperts. Upon an issue as to the mental condition of plaintiff, shortly after he was injured, non-expert witnesses who saw him trembling and incoherent and unable to walk, may testify that he was not in possession of his mental faculties, where they were testifying to facts and their opinions drawn from facts within their observations. Witnesses—Impeachment—Interest—Agent of Indemnity Company. Upon an issue as to plaintiff’s mental condition when he signed a release of damages and an affidavit of exoneration, evidence is admissible, as affecting his credibility, that the witness who procured the release and affidavit was agent of the insurance company writing the liability policy. Trial—Instructions—Repetition. Unnecessary repetition in instructions will not work a reversal, where they merely stated the law properly under varying conditions of evidence, and the 'repetition was not unwarranted. Appeal-—Review-—Invited Error. Improper argument to the jury respecting a compromise or settlement is not ground for a reversal, where the same was offered in answer to an equally improper utterance of opposing counsel on the subject of compromising the claim. Damages — Excessive Verdict — Personal Injuries. A verdict for $2,500 for injuries sustained by a physician 78 years of age, will not be held excessive, where it appears that he suffered a dislocation of the knee cap, cuts and bruises about the head and body, .and a permanent injury to the ankle and bones of the foot, causing inconvenience, constant care, and pain.