Johnson v. Hasslinger
Johnson v. Hasslinger
Opinion of the Court
Judgment allowing damages to respondent was granted on the theory that some negligence of appellant existed because the truck was in low gear when the team started to pull, and that this caused the rocking of the sleigh and respondent’s fall. Appellants contend that the evidence does not sustain the finding that the truck was in gear when Johnson was hurt, and that in any event it was not a proximate cause of Johnson’s injury. Hasslinger denied that the truck was in gear. The evidence that it was consists of testimony by Johnson that on two occasions Hasslinger admitted to him that the truck had been in gear. Johnson prepared a written statement describing the accident which implied that the truck was in gear. Johnson testified that
The effect of this finding is to establish that an act of Hasslinger occurred which increased the resistance to be experienced when the pull began. The matter is not free from difficulty. Some doubt exists as to whether one could be reasonably expected to foresee injury to one situated as respondent was unless the former knew' or ought to’ have known that the truck and sleigh were so attached that, when' the horses pulled against the increased resistance, the sleigh would be raised and that a similar rising of the sleigh would not result if the operation were alone upon the motionless truck out of gear. Under the facts here, however, the respondent having assisted Hasslinger in starting this truck before, and as under the plan usually followed the gears were not engaged until some time after the truck had been in motion, we conclude a jury question exists as to whether Hass-linger was negligent in having put the truck in gear before the truck started rolling.
Both respondent and Hasslinger were found to have acted negligently, and the jury fixed the negligence eighty per cent in Hasslinger and twenty per cent in Johnson. It had, however, made a finding that Hasslinger was negligent with re
By the Court. — Judgment reversed, and cause remanded with directions to grant' a new trial.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Johnson v. Hasslinger and another
- Status
- Published