Manser v. Eder
Decision Date | 16 May 1933 |
Docket Number | No. 2.,2. |
Citation | 248 N.W. 563,263 Mich. 107 |
Parties | MANSER v. EDER. |
Court | Michigan Supreme Court |
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE
Appeal from Circuit Court, Wayne County; Kelly S. Searl, Judge.
Action by Cecilia Manser, now Cecilia Jerinkitz, against Burton P. Eder. From a judgment in favor of plaintiff, defendant appeals.
Affirmed.
Argued before the Entire Bench.
Bernstein & Bernstein, of Detroit, for appellee.
Plaintiff, Cecilia Manser, now Cecilia Jerinkitz, together with a young lady companion, were the guest passengers of Dr. Burton P. Eder, a dentist of Detroit, Mich., and defendant herein, on June 14, 1931. Defendant had worked steadily from 9:00 a. m. to 9:00 p. m. at his office and it was late in the evening before the party started for a pleasure ride in defendant's Ford coupé. They drove out of Detroit on Woodward avenue, stopped at a restaurant in the suburbs for supper, and then proceeded as far as Pontiac, Mich. It was about 1:00 a. m. Sunday when they began their return trip. As they drove through Highland Park, defendant fell asleep at the wheel and narrowly escaped running into a safety zone near the Ford plant. Plaintiff became very much alarmed, aroused defendant, and informed him that he was driving in a dangerous manner. An argument ensued, in the course of which plaintiff told defendant that she was frightened and insisted that he let her out of the car. Defendant stated that he would not permit the young ladies to leave the car and find their way home alone at that hour of the night. He declared that he was no longer sleepy and would get them home safely. Shortly thereafter, defendant went to sleep again and drove his car with great force into a post of a safety zone near the intersection of Woodward and Elmhurst avenues, in Detroit. As a result of the collision, the car was badly damaged and plaintiff sustained severe injuries.
The trial judge, who heard the case without a jury, awarded plaintiff a judgment of $1,250 on the ground that defendant was guilty of gross negligence and wanton and willful misconduct. On appeal, it is claimed that, at most, defendant's conduct constituted only ordinary negligence, and that plaintiff, a guest passenger, was barred from recovery under section 4648, C. L. 1929, in the absence of any adequate showing of gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct.
There is no question but that one is negligent in driving his car under the influence of extreme fatigue and sleep. As was said by Mr. Justice Wiest in Devlin v. Morse, 254 Mich. 113, 235 N. W. 812, a case in which the accident occurred before the enactment of the Guest Act:
We also quote from Bushnell v. Bushnell, 103 Conn. 583, 131 A. 432, 44 A. L. R. 785, as follows: See, also, People v. Robinson, 253 Mich. 507, 235 N. W. 236;Whiddon v. Malone, 220 Ala. 220, 124 So. 516.
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Harper v. Harper
... ... in other jurisdictions are to like effect. Ryan v ... Scanlon, 117 Conn. 428, 168 A. 17; Blood v ... Adams, 269 Mass. 480, 169 N.E. 412; Manser v ... Eder, 263 Mich. 107, 248 N.W. 563; Marks v ... Marks, 308 Ill.App. 276, 31 N.E.2d 399; Rice-Stix ... Dry Goods Co. v. Self, 20 Tenn.App ... ...
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Harper v. Harper
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