Stapler v. Parler

Decision Date19 March 1925
Docket Number8 Div. 736
Citation103 So. 573,212 Ala. 644
PartiesSTAPLER v. PARLER.
CourtAlabama Supreme Court

Rehearing Denied April 23, 1925

Appeal from Circuit Court, Jackson County; W.W. Haralson, Judge.

Action for damages by Henry Parler against Cas Stapler. Judgment for plaintiff, and defendant appeals. Transferred from Court of Appeals, under Acts of 1911, § 6, p. 449. Affirmed.

Milo Moody, of Scottsboro, for appellant.

Proctor & Snodgrass, of Scottsboro, for appellee.

ANDERSON, C.J.

While the defendant's evidence tended to show that he was to furnish the car only, and the passengers were to furnish the gas, yet there was evidence from which the jury could infer that the defendant directed Grady Gentle to get the gas from the plaintiff's car, and, if this was true, he directed the commission of a tort, and became responsible therefor whether as principal or joint tort-feasor, and, if the defendant directed the act, and Gentle acted under said direction, the jury could infer that he became the agent of the defendant in committing the wrong. After laying the predicate, Parish testified:

"Grady Gentle said to me Cas told him to go to the County roller and get some gas and if he could not get it there to get it out of Parler's car."

If this was believed by the jury, then the defendant directed the act and was resonsible therefor. "There can be no such thing as an innocent agency in the commission of a tort; and doing an illegal or tortious act by another, is doing it by one's self." Ala. Mid. R.R. Co. v. Coskry, 92 Ala. 254, 9 So. 202.

The general rule is that all parties participating in a wrongful act, directly or indirectly, whether as principals or as agents, or both, are jointly and severally liable in damages for the wrong done, where injury results.

The trial court did not err in refusing the general charge requested by the defendant or in refusing the motion for a new trial, and the judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.

Affirmed.

SOMERVILLE, THOMAS, and BOULDIN, JJ., concur.

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4 cases
  • Roan v. Smith
    • United States
    • Alabama Supreme Court
    • September 21, 1961
    ...as principals or agents, or both, are jointly and severally liable in damages for wrong done, where injury results. Stapler v. Parker, 212 Ala. 644, 103 So. 573; Tennessee Chemical Co. v. Cheatham, 217 Ala. 399, 116 So. 420; 19 C.J.S. Corporations § 846, p. The determination of whether or n......
  • Green v. City of Birmingham
    • United States
    • Alabama Supreme Court
    • May 22, 1941
    ...is presented, as to the individual defendants, independently of affirmance or reversal as to the City of Birmingham. In Stapler v. Parler, 212 Ala. 644, 103 So. 573, general rule of joint liability is thus stated: "The general rule is that all parties participating in a wrongful act, direct......
  • Atlanta Life Ins. Co. v. Ash
    • United States
    • Alabama Supreme Court
    • March 1, 1934
    ... ... agent jointly, or severally, and successively, until she had ... recovered ofone or both the amount of her loss. Stapler ... v. Parler, 212 Ala. 644, 103 So. 573 ... There ... is manifestly no merit in appellant's first and second ... assignments of error ... ...
  • Glimm v. Turner
    • United States
    • Alabama Supreme Court
    • March 26, 1925

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