Porter v. Walker

Decision Date03 July 1931
Docket Number29,845
PartiesP. G. PORTER, Appellant, v. FRED A. WALKER, Appellee
CourtKansas Supreme Court

Decided July, 1931.

Appeal from Shawnee district court, division No. 2; GEORGE H WHITCOMB, judge.

Judgment affirmed.

SYLLABUS

SYLLABUS BY THE COURT.

AUTOMOBILES--Collision at Intersection--Verdict and Findings. The proceedings considered in an action for damages sustained in an automobile collision at a highway intersection, and held, the court properly rendered judgment for defendant non obstante veredicto.

Elisha Scott and C. Oakley McIntosh, both of Topeka, for the appellant.

Keene Saxon and S. L. Lashbrook, both of Topeka, for the appellee.

OPINION

BURCH, J.:

The action was one for damages for injury to person and property sustained in an automobile collision. The verdict was for plaintiff. The court set aside the verdict, and rendered judgment for defendant. Plaintiff appeals.

The collision occurred at a highway intersection. Porter's automobile, driven by his wife, approached the intersection from the north. Three hundred feet north of the intersection was a highway sign warning of the intersection. Porter's driver sounded the horn of his automobile and reduced its speed, but the automobile entered the intersection at a speed of about thirty miles per hour. Thereafter nothing was done to avert a collision. Walker approached the intersection from the west at a speed of about twenty-five miles per hour. Porter entered the intersection first. Walker was on the right of Porter, and the left front of Walker's automobile struck Porter's automobile back of the right front fender. These facts were found by the jury. The jury also found Walker was negligent, Porter was not negligent, and Walker's negligence caused the injury.

Porter abstracts and complains of but one instruction to the jury. The instruction advised the jury that, under the circumstances, the negligence of Porter's driver should be regarded as his negligence. The instruction was properly given. The petition pleaded that Porter was operating his car, and he testified he was going to Topeka on business of his own.

The trouble with the general verdict and the special finding relating to who was and who was not negligent is that they disregarded the instructions of the court, which Porter did not abstract. For example, as the court told the jury, the statute required Porter to reduce speed as he...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT