City of Hollywood v. Bair
Decision Date | 31 October 1938 |
Citation | 136 Fla. 100,186 So. 818 |
Court | Florida Supreme Court |
Parties | CITY OF HOLLYWOOD et al. v. BAIR. |
Rehearing Denied Nov. 23, 1938.
Error to Circuit Court, Broward County; George W. Tedder, Judge.
Action by John H. Bair against the City of Hollywood and others to recover for injuries sustained when thrown from and run over by a truck. To review a judgment for the plaintiff, the defendants bring error.
Judgment affirmed.
Botts & Field, of Miami, and C. H. Landefeld, Jr. of Hollywood, for plaintiffs in error.
E. R Heimburger, George W. English, Jr., and McCune, Hiaasen & Fleming, all of Fort Lauderdale, for defendant in error.
This case is here on writ of error to review a final judgment for plaintiff below against defendants in the sum of $7,500 entered by the Circuit Court of Broward County, Florida. The case went to trial on the amended declaration and a plea of not guilty on the part of each defendant, pleas of contributory negligence and a number of special pleas. Prior hereto the case at bar has been before the Court and is reported in 124 Fla. 520, 168 So. 815; 126 Fla. 413, 171 So 237. The parties will be referred to hereinafter as plaintiff and defendants as they appeared in the lower court.
The first question presented is the legal sufficiency of the amended declaration. The lower court overruled a demurrer and a motion for compulsory amendment directed thereto and the order is assigned as error here. Pertinent portions of the amended declaration are, viz.:
It is contended that on the face of the amended declaration it affirmatively appears that the plaintiff at the time of the injury was guilty of contributory negligence which as a matter of law will preclude a recovery by him. The case of Atlantic Coast Line R. Co. v. Ryland, 50 Fla. 190, 40 So. 24, and Labatt on Master and Servant (2nd Ed.) pages 1245 to 1251, are cited to sustain this contention. We can fully agree with the rule expressed in each of these authorities.
Likewise, we have carefully considered the legal sufficiency of the amended declaration in light of the objections pointed out by counsel. While it is true as suggested and argued that the declaration here, in a degree, is subject to the criticism as made, we do not think it fails to state a cause of action. We base our conclusion on the following authorities: Rivers v. City of Gainesville, 106 Fla. 267, 143 So. 235, 144 So. 481; Id., 107 Fla. 774, 143 So. 235, 144 So. 481; Id., 115 Fla. 602, 155 So. 844; Williams v. City of Jacksonville, 118 Fla. 671, 160 So. 15, 98 A.L.R. 513; American Box & Lumber Co. v. Chandler, 102 Fla. 907, 138 So. 29; Id., 122 Fla. 169, 165 So. 382; City of Gainesville v. Kirkland, 116 Fla. 319, 156 So. 601; Kirkland v. City of Gainesville, 122 Fla. 765, 166 So. 460; Fellsmere Sugar Co. v. Marshall, 123 Fla. 378, 167 So. 649; Holstun & Son v. Embry, 124 Fla. 554, 169 So. 400; Hamblen, Inc., v. Owens, 127 Fla. 91, 172 So. 694; Kenan et al. as Receivers v. Walker, 127 Fla 275, 173 So. 836; Seaboard Air Line Ry. Co. v. Rentz & Little, 60 Fla. 449, 54 So. 20; Florida Tel. Corporation v. Wallace, 104 Fla. 566, 140 So. 472; H. E. Wolfe Construction Co. v. Ellison, 127 Fla. 808, 174 So. 594.
The record here shows that some thirteen pleas were filed by the defendants to the amended declaration. The trial court sustained either a demurrer or a motion to strike pleas 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, and 13, and it is contended here that this ruling by the trial court was error. We have carefully examined each of these pleas in the light of the criticism directed on the part of counsel for plaintiffs in error. The authorities cited to sustain their position have been duly considered, but when the pleadings as an entirety, the evidence of the parties, and briefs of counsel are reviewed, it appears that all the rights of the defendants were fully presented, considered and decided in the lower court and that the adverse ruling on the stricken pleas by the lower court was without error.
Assignments 7, 8, 9 and 19 raise the question of the sufficiency of the evidence adduced by the plaintiff to sustain the verdict. This same question is presented in the motion for a new trial. The plaintiff gave evidence as to how his injuries occurred, while the physician testified as to the extent of the alleged injuries and expressed an opinion that plaintiff's injuries were permanent. Photographs of the truck upon which plaintiff was injured while riding were introduced in evidence; and the hole in the highway into which the truck was driven when plaintiff was injured likewise was shown by a photograph. Other exhibits were filed in evidence by the plaintiff. This court has held in several cases that when there is not sufficient evidence to legally support a verdict for one party, the trial judge may direct a verdict for the opposite party. See Cameron & Barkley Co. v. Law-Engle Co., 98 Fla. 920, 124 So. 814; Florida East Coast R. Co. v. Hayes, 66 Fla. 589, 64 So. 274; Rogers Co. v. Meinhardt, 37 Fla. 480, 19 So. 878; Varnes v. Seaboard Air Line R. Co., 80 Fla. 624, 86 So. 433; Burton v. McCaskill, 79 Fla. 173, 83 So. 919; Florida East Coast R. Co. v. Carter, 67 Fla. 335, 65 So. 254, Ann.Cas.1916E, 1299; Stevens v. Tampa Elec. Co., 81 Fla. 512, 88 So. 303; Smith, Richardson & Conroy v. Tampa Elec. Co., 82 Fla. 79, 89 So. 352; Greenblatt v. Bissell Dry Goods Co., 85 Fla. 83, 95 So. 302; Rogers v. Martin, 87 Fla. 204, 99 So. 551; Florida East Coast R. Co. v. Davis, 96 Fla. 171, ...
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