Gojkovic v. Wageley

• Decision Date: 07 January 1924
• Docket Number: 36
• Citation: 278 Pa. 488,123 A. 466
• Parties: Gojkovic et ux. v. Wageley et al., Appellants
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

123 A. 466

278 Pa. 488

Gojkovic et ux. v. Wageley et al., Appellants

No. 36

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

January 7, 1924

Argued October 9, 1923

Appeal, No. 36, Oct. T., 1923, by defendants, from judgment of C.P. Allegheny Co., Jan. T., 1919, No. 1715, on verdict for plaintiffs, in case of George Gojkovic et ux. v. C. A Wageley et al., doing business as Wageley Brothers. Affirmed.

Trespass for death of plaintiff's minor daughter. Before DREW, J.

The opinion of the Supreme Court states the facts.

Judgment on verdict for plaintiffs for $1,790.03. Defendants appealed.

Error assigned was, inter alia, refusal of judgment for defendants n.o.v. quoting record.

The judgment is affirmed.

Thomas F. Garrahan, with him H. W. McIntosh, for appellants, cited: Beatty v. Firestone T. & R. Co., 263 Pa. 271; Lotz v. Hanlon, 217 Pa. 339; Scheel v. Shaw, 60 Pa.Super. 73, 252 Pa. 451; Farbo v. Caskey, 272 Pa. 573; Markel v. Perot, 273 Pa. 4; Goodman v. Sanger, 85 Pa. 37; Cohen v. Transit Co., 228 Pa. 243.

Ralph P. Tannehill, with him Rody P. & M. R. Marshall, for appellee, cited: Holzheimer v. Lit Bros., 262 Pa. 150; Williams v. Floral Co., 252 Pa. 140; Sieber v. Ice Cream Co., 276 Pa. 340.

Before FRAZER, WALLING, SIMPSON, SADLER and SCHAFFER, JJ.

OPINION

MR. JUSTICE WALLING:

The defendants, Wageley Brothers, were grocers at Pitcairn, Allegheny County, and owners of a delivery truck driven by one Harry Morrow who, while so doing, on October 8, 1918, ran down and killed the eight-year-old daughter of George and Amelia Gojkovic, the plaintiffs. The circumstances pointed to negligence on part of Morrow and this suit, brought to recover for such death, resulted in a verdict and judgment for plaintiffs; defendants have appealed.

The only error assigned is the refusal of the trial court to decide the case in defendants' favor as matter of law, but that could not be done. Plaintiffs' evidence indicated that defendants' name was on the truck and, aside from that, the latter admitted their ownership and also the employment of Morrow, but offered evidence tending to show that on the occasion of the accident he was using the truck for his own pleasure and not within the scope of his employment. This defense found support in the testimony of Morrow and, to some extent, in that of a boy riding with him and of one of the defendants. On the other hand, plaintiffs' case was strengthened by the fact that the accident happened during business hours near the residence of one of defendants' customers and that empty boxes were found in the truck.

To fasten liability on the owner for an accident caused by the negligent operation of his pleasure vehicle no set presumption against him is indulged in and it is necessary to show the driver was the owner's servant and in the performance of his duty as such (Farbo v. Caskey, 272 Pa. 573; Solomon v. Com. Tr. Co. of Pgh., 256 Pa. 54; Scheel v. Shaw, 252 Pa. 451; Lotz v Hanlon, 217 Pa. 339); but the use of a business vehicle is presumed to be for its owner and, when damage has been caused by the negligent operation thereof, a jury is the proper tribunal to pass upon the credibility of oral evidence submitted to repel such presumption. In essential features the present case is parallel with Sieber v. Russ Bros. Ice Cream Co., 276 Pa. 340, where Mr. Justice FRAZER, for the court, reviews prior decisions, and holds, inter alia, that a delivery truck is presumed to be operated for its owner and that the credibility of oral testimony submitted to rebut that presumption is for the jury. In Williams v....