Powers v. Hatcher, No. 51643

• Court: United States State Supreme Court of Iowa
• Writing for the Court: THORNTON; All Justices concur, except HAYS
• Citation: 257 Iowa 833,135 N.W.2d 114
• Parties: Wilfred V. POWERS, Appellee, v. James K. HATCHER, Appellant.
• Decision Date: 04 May 1965
• Docket Number: No. 51643

Page 114

135 N.W.2d 114 257 Iowa 833 Wilfred V. POWERS, Appellee,
v.
James K. HATCHER, Appellant. No. 51643. Supreme Court of Iowa. May 4, 1965.

[257 Iowa 835]

Page 115

Steward, Crouch & Hopkins, Des Moines, for appellant.

J. P. Denato, Des Moines, for appellee.

THORNTON, Justice.

This case was tried as a 'guest' case, even though plaintiff was not riding in the motor vehicle at the time of accident but changing a tire. No issue is raised on this aspect of the case. Plaintiff at the time of the accident involved here was chairman of the Warren County Committee of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. Defendant was the office manager of the ASCS program in the county. The county committee of which plaintiff was chairman hired defendant as office manager, it has the last word in hiring and firing the office manager. The manager is a full-time position, the committee members part-time. On February 28, 1961, plaintiff and defendant were going to Nevada, Iowa, to attend a feed-grain program meeting. They, together with a Mrs. Owens, a chief

Page 116

clerk in [257 Iowa 836] defendant's office, were riding in defendant's 1960 Ford. While driving through Des Moines the right rear tire went flat. Plaintiff and defendant started to change the tire. Plaintiff was removing the lug nuts on the right rear wheel while defendant attempted to jack up the car with a bumper jack. Before the operation was completed the car fell on plaintiff's hand crushing it against the spinner wrench he was using to loosen the wheel nuts. Plaintiff contended defendant negligently assembled the bumper jack and this was the cause of the car falling. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff.

Defendant appeals, urging for reversal, 1, plaintiff was a guest as a matter of law, 2, refusal to instruct as requested and erroneous instructions given, and 3, no causal connection.

I. The enumeration of the following three situations when a passenger is not a guest within the meaning of section 321.494, Code of Iowa, 1962, I.C.A., where the passenger is riding 1, for the purpose of performing his duty as servant of the owner or operator of the car, 2, for the benefit of the owner or operator, or 3, for the mutual benefit of owner or operator and the passenger, is not exclusive. This is pointed out in Hansen v. Nelson, 240 Iowa 1298, 1303, 39 N.W.2d 292, 295. In fact there is nothing in Knutson v. Lurie, 217 Iowa 192, 251 N.W. 147, or in the many cases since then wherein such enumeration has been set out to so indicate. As pointed out in Hansen v. Nelson, supra, where the operator and the passenger are in the performance of service for their common employer it is not necessary that the driver derive any special benefit. Neither is invited by the other. To like effect is Spring v. Liles, 236 Or. 140, 387 P.2d 578. It is there pointed out to avoid the guest-host relationship it is not always necessary to show a benefit to the owner or operator either special to the owner or operator or mutual to both the owner or operator and the passenger.

Section 321.494 provides protection to the owner or operator of a motor vehicle from claims for damages based on ordinary negligence brought by 'any passenger or person riding in said motor vehicle as a guest or by invitation and not for hire.' Its purpose was to protect the 'Good Samaritan.' Bookhart v. Greenlease-Lied Motor Company, 215 Iowa, 8, 244 N.W. 721, [257 Iowa 837] 82 A.L.R. 1359; and Nielsen v. Kohlstedt, 254 Iowa 470, 473, 117 N.W.2d 900. When benefits are to be considered, we say benefits to the operator or owner as are incidental to hospitality, social relations, companionship or the like are not definite and tangible benefits as are contemplated. Nielsen v. Kohlstedt, 254 Iowa 470, 474, 117 N.W.2d 900. Where the jury can find the relationship is not a social one, that the owner or operator is not a 'Good Samaritan,' but that the relationship of the operator and passenger is that of co-employees in furtherance of their employment in transportation as directed by their employer, there is no need to look for benefits. They are not guest and host. The purpose of the statute has been satisfied. When the above has been shown, it follows--if we wish to stretch that far--the operator, if he is paid by the employer, receives a benefit, see Thompson v. Lacey, 42 Cal.2d 443, 267 P.2d 1, 3, and that each is mutually benefited because by such means he is able to carry out his employment. Certainly no other benefit is necessary, nor should the jury be allowed to speculate whether such constitutes a sufficient benefit.

In this case plaintiff pleaded:

'3. That the plaintiff and the defendant Hatcher were employed by the Warren County, Iowa Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service on and prior to February 28, 1961, and were acting in such capacity on said date at the time of the accident hereafter set out and were, in fact, on their way to a business meeting at Nevada, Iowa, in connection with said employment.'

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Defendant moved to dismiss because plaintiff had not stated a cause of action under the guest statute. Plaintiff then amended paragraph 3 above by adding, 'That the plaintiff was the defendant's employer and the purpose of said journey had to do with such employment.' The trial court overruled defendant's motion.

Defendant contends there is a failure of proof under rule 106, Rules of Civil Procedure, 58 I.C.A., because it is apparent plaintiff was attempting to plead an employee-employer relationship between plaintiff and defendant to avoid the guest statute and plaintiff wholly failed to prove such. In this we believe defendant[257 Iowa 838] is mistaken. The general meaning of paragraph 3 of plaintiff's petition as amended could hardly be construed to mean plaintiff was defendant's actual employer responsible for payment of his salary. It is pleaded both of them were employed by the ASCS in Warren County. The evidence showed this and both were paid by the federal government. It also showed plaintiff was chairman of the county committee which had the right to hire and fire defendant, in other words, plaintiff was defendant's superior. We think paragraph 3 as amended could only properly be read in that light, that such was its general meaning. We have examined the contract cases cited by defendant and do not find them apposite here. They are, Ross v. Miller, 254 Iowa 1364, 121 N.W.2d 124; Sanford v. Luce, 245 Iowa 74, 60 N.W.2d 885; Snater v. Walters, 250 Iowa 1189, 98 N.W.2d 302; Hughes v. Keokuk & Hamilton Bridge Company, 204 Iowa 1229, 210 N.W. 451; Heim v. Ressel, 162 Iowa 75, 143 N.W. 823; and Saatoff v. Scott, 103 Iowa 201, 72 N.W. 492. Porter v. Decker, 222 Iowa 1109, 270 N.W. 897, is a guest case but it does not reach the point urged. It holds it is error to instruct on benefit to the driver and mutual benefit when plaintiff's evidence only supports an employee-employer relationship.

The other evidence bearing on the trip taken by plaintiff and defendant showed they were directed by the state office to attend the meeting at Nevada and that plaintiff as chairman had at different times received letters from the state committee telling them to cut down on travel expenses and as many travel in one car as possible. The person driving the car was paid seven cents a mile. They arranged between them to...