Zucker v. Johnson
Zucker v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
Tbe following opinion was filed May 1, 1914:
It is contended that tbe uncontroverted evidence establishes a case of contributory negligence against tbe plaintiff. We may concede at once that upon defendants’ version of tbe facts this would be true. But that version of tbe occurrence is controverted by the evidence on tbe part of tbe plaintiff. Defendants’ evidence is subject to some weakness. Tbe motorman testified that when bis car was between five and ten feet from tbe wagon tbe plaintiff turned two feet nearer to tbe car track, that tbe motorman threw off the-
It is further contended that an instruction relative to the sixth question of-the special verdict was extremely confused and misleading. In defining the words “ordinary care” the court said in connection with such definition: “Now, if the plaintiff was in the situation not that I have described to you in a previous question, but was in the situation of going upon the tracks after going out of the tracks, then he must be in the exercise of ordinary care.” This instruction relates to defendants’ version of the occurrence which was rejected by the jury. There is nothing positively incorrect about it, but it lacks lucidity. AVe may readily concede that it did not materially enlighten the jury and we think it did not mislead them. An instruction relative to the seventh question, which, called for a finding upon the plaintiff’s contributory negligence, was as follows:
“If you take the plaintiff’s theory that he was in the act of removing from the track at the time of the injury, then he had the right of precedence upon that portion of the street*85 and to move from tbe track without unnecessary delay, and it was his duty to remove from the track without unnecessary delay, and it was the duty of the motorman to keep a proper lookout so as to know plaintiffs situation, and to have hi§ car under such control that he could, in the exercise of ordinary care, avoid the collision, and in the exercise of ordinary care so operate the car as to avoid the collision; and upon this conduct on the part of the motorman the plaintiff had the right to rely.”
This instruction is also quite confusing. No doubt these instructions were oral and extemporaneous and will probably appear very bad to the learned circuit judge when now called to his attention. It is very desirable that sufficient time to reduce instructions to writing be taken in the trial of cases, and many -'errors could be thus avoided. ’ It is not correct to-say that the plaintiff had the right of precedence upon that portion of the street, but it is correct to say that it was his duty to remove from the track without unnecessary delay, and that it was the duty of the motorman to keep a proper lookout and to have his car under such control that he could, in the exercise of ordinary care, avoid the collision. But it is quite irrelevant to say that the plaintiff had a right to rely on this conduct on the part of the motorman. The latter question was not in the case. We cannot approve of these instructions, but we are not convinced that the result was prejudicially affected thereby.
By the Gourt. — Judgment affirmed.
A motion for a rehearing was denied, with $25 costs, on October 6, 1914.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Zucker v. Johnson and others, Receivers
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- Published