Mcllroy v. Akers Motor Lines Inc

• Decision Date: 24 November 1948
• Docket Number: No. 523.,523.
• Citation: 50 S.E.2d 530,229 N.C. 509
• Court: North Carolina Supreme Court
• Parties: MclLROY . v. AKERS MOTOR LINES, Inc., et al.

50 S.E.2d 530

229 N.C. 509

MclLROY .

v.AKERS MOTOR LINES, Inc., et al.

No. 523.

Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Nov. 24, 1948.

Appeal from Superior Court, Mecklenburg County; Geo. B. Patton, Special Judge.

Action by John J. McIlroy against Akers Motor Lines, Inc., and Wade D. Philemon for personal injuries and property damage in operation of a truck. From a judgment for the plaintiff, defendant corporation appeals.

Reversed.

This was an action to recover damages for injury to plaintiff's person and property alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the defendants in the operation of a motor truck.

Plaintiff's automobile was struck by the corporate defendant's truck which was then being driven by defendant Philemon, an employee. The collision occurred on a four-lane highway some four miles north of Charlotte about 8:30 or 9 P. M. December 24, 1945. The surface of the highway was slick from ice and sleet, and plaintiff's automobile had skidded and stalled, partially obstructing two lanes of the highway. By a flashlight, warning was given approaching automobiles. Defendant Philemon drove his co-defendant's truck without turning or slackening speed against plaintiff's automobile causing serious injury. It was alleged Philemon failed to keep proper lookout, drove at excessive speed, and was under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Philemon filed no answer.

Plaintiff alleged that at the time of the collision Philemon was driving for the Akers Motor Lines, Inc. (hereinafter called the defendant), in the scope of his employment, and further that the defendant was negligent in that it employed this man and retained him in its service as a truck driver when it knew or by investigation should have known he was not a fit person to drive a truck, and that on the occasion complained of defendant negligently directed Philemon to drive a truck on the streets and highways when it knew or should have known that he was under the influence of intoxicants and not in condition to operate a motor vehicle.

Defendant admitted ownership of the truck, and that Philemon was in its employ, but denied that, at the time, he was operating the truck in the course of its business and averred that he was using it solely for his own purposes, and the defendant denied the allegations as to the unfitness of Philemon as a truck driver, or that on this occasion it knew or had reason to know that he had taken anything to drink.

On the trial the plaintiff offered the defendant's admission of ownership of the truck and employment of Philemon, and also introduced evidence in support of its allegations as to the negligent operation of the truck by Philemon. One witness, who was at the scene of the collision, noticed the odor of alcohol on Philemon's breath, and a policeman testified in his opinion he was under the influence of intoxicants, though upon what he based his opinion was not stated. Plaintiff offered evidence from criminal court records that Philemon before his employment by defendant had been convicted of several offenses, including drunkenness, drunken driving, and in one instance larceny. Plaintiff then offered the adverse examination of Philemon and that of the Dispatcher and Assistant Dispatcher of the Akers Motor Lines, Inc. From these it appeared that at the time of Philemon's employment in April 1945 the late war was still being waged, and that motor freight carrying was an essential industry and employment handled through the U. S. E. S.; that Philemon applied through this agency and was sent to defendant; that he was asked about drinking and replied that he drank when he wished but not when on duty--"did not work drunk." Philemon gave as reference his father and the City of Charlotte for which he had worked. A phone conversation with an official elicited response that he was a careful driver, but this was denied by the city official. Criminal records were not checked, nor was it customary to do so in investigating the fitness of prospective employees. The adverse examination of Philemon offered by plaintiff tended to show that he was employed to drive a pick-up truck in Charlotte and its environs, collecting and delivering freight, and had been so employed for eight months. On the morning of December 24th, due to weather conditions and the season, all work on part of the numerous employees of defendant had ceased by 11:30. One of the drivers had a quart of whisky and this was consumed by all the drivers, fifteen in number, in the drivers' room. Philemon took one drink. Due to previous potations an off-duty driver named Ratchford became intoxicated, fell down some steps and cut his head. Being informed of this, the defendant's manager directed Philemon to take Ratchford home in his truck and return. This would have consumed not more than an hour. Philemon put the man in his truck and set out. There was no freight in the truck. The manager on his way home, about 12 o'clock, saw this truck apparently on its return proceeding along the street in the direction of defendant's terminal. Philemon's statement was that after he took the man home he did not take the truck in, but rode around town, and then went out in the country to his aunt's place and went hunting; then came back to Charlotte and went home where he remained until 8 o'clock. Then with his brother, sister, and brother-in-law in the truck with him he was driving again out to his aunt's when the collision occurred. He had had nothing more to drink since the drink he had that morning. True, he pleaded guilty to driving drunk, but that was because he had been sitting around the court house for so long trying to get the case heard, he paid the fine to get it off. He had been told by the manager, after taking the man home, to take the truck back and put it in the yard. The drink he had taken was about two hours before the manager told him to take the truck out. He was not intoxicated. Hewas not certain that the manager came in the drivers' room at all, though the whisky bottle was not where it could be readily seen but was on the floor.

Issues were submitted to the jury and answered as follows:

"1. Was the plaintiff injured, and his automobile damaged, by the negligence of the defendant Philemon in the operation of a truck of the defendant Akers Motor Lines, Inc., as alleged in the complaint?

"Answer: Yes.

"2. If so, was the defendant Philemon, at the time and place of the plaintiff's injury and damage, operating said truck within the scope of his employment and in the furtherance of the business of the defendant Akers Motor Lines, Inc., as alleged in the complaint?

"Answer: Yes.

"3. Was the plaintiff injured, and his automobile damaged, by reason of the negligence of the Akers Motor Lines, Inc., in entrusting the operation of said truck to said Philemon, as alleged in the complaint?

"Answer: Yes.

"4. What damages, if any, is the plaintiff entitled to recover by reason of his personal injuries?

"Answer: $7500.00.

"5. What amount is the plaintiff entitled to recover by reason of the damage to his automobile?

"Answer: $400.00."

From judgment on the verdict, defendant Akers Motor Lines, Inc., appealed.

Ralph V. Kidd and Robinson & Jones, all of Charlotte, for plaintiff, appellee.

Smathers, Smathers & Carpenter, of Charlotte, for defendant, appellant.

DEVIN, Justice.

That the injuries of which plaintiff complained were caused by the negligence of the defendant Philemon in the operation of the motor truck of the corporate defendant was not denied. But the effort of the plaintiff to hold Philemon's employer, the defendant Akers Motor Lines, Inc., responsible for his negligence encountered serious opposition. The plain tiff in the first place alleged that the truck at the time of and in...