Wade v. Jones Sausage Co.

• Decision Date: 24 February 1954
• Docket Number: No. 96,96
• Citation: Wade v. Jones Sausage Co., 239 N.C. 524, 80 S.E.2d 150 (N.C. 1954)
• Parties: WADE, v. JONES SAUSAGE CO. et al.
• Court: North Carolina Supreme Court

Page 150

80 S.E.2d 150

239 N.C. 524

WADE, v. JONES SAUSAGE CO. et al.

No. 96

Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Feb. 24, 1954

Fountain, Fountain & Bridgers, Tarboro, for plaintiff, appellee.

Spruill & Spruill, Rocky Mount, for defendant, appellants.

ERVIN, Justice.

The defendants assert that the evidence does not bring the plaintiff's claim within the purview of the last clear chance or discovered peril doctrine, and that their assignments of error ought to be sustained on that ground.

Where an injured pedestrian who has been guilty of contributory negligence invokes the last clear chance or discovered peril doctrine against the driver of a motor vehicle which struck and injured him, he must establish these four elements: (1) That the pedestrian negligently placed himself in a position of peril from which he could not escape by the exercise of reasonable care; (2) that the motorist knew, or by the exercise of reasonable care could have discovered, the pedestrian's perilous position and his incapacity to escape from it before the endangered pedestrian suffered injury at his hands; (3) that the motorist had the time and means to avoid injury to the endangered pedestrian by the exercise of reasonable care after he discovered, or should have discovered, the pedestrian's perilous position and his incapacity to escape from it; and (4) that the motorist negligently failed to use the available time and means to avoid injury to the endangered pedestrian, and for that reason struck and injured him. Dowdy v. Southern R. R. Co., 237 N.C. 519, 75 S.E.2d 639; Lee v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 237 N.C. 357, 75 S.E.2d 143; Matheny v. Central Motor Lines, 233 N.C. 673, 65 S.E.2d 361; Mount Olive Manufacturing Co. v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 233 N.C. 661, 65 S.E.2d 379; Osborne v. Norfolk & W. R. R. Co., 233 N.C. 215, 63 S.E.2d 147; Aydlett v. Keim, 232 N.C. 367, 61 S.E.2d 109; Ingram v. Smoky Mountain Stages, Inc., 225 N.C. 444, 35 S.E.2d 337; Mercer v. Powell, 218 N.C. 642, 12 S.E.2d 227; Van Dyke v. Atlantic Greyhound Corp., 218 N.C. 283, 10 S.E.2d 727; Cummings v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 217 N.C. 127, 6 S.E.2d 837; Hunter v. Bruton, 216 N.C. 540, 5 S.E.2d 719; Newbern v. Leary, 215 N.C. 134, 1 S.E.2d 384; Taylor v. Rierson, 210 N.C. 185, 185 S.E. 627; Morris v. Seashore Transportation Co., 208 N.C. 807, 182 S.E. 487; Miller v. Southern R. R. Co., 205 N.C. 17, 169 S.E. 811; Caudle v. Seaboard Air Line R. R. Co., 202 N.C. 404, 163 S.E. 122; Jenkins v. Southern R. R. Co., 197 N.C. 786, 148 S.E. 926, Id., 196 N.C. 466, 146 S.E. 83; Redmond v. Norfolk Southern R. R. Co., 196 N.C. 768, 147 S.E. 287; Redmon v. Southern R. R. Co., 195 N.C. 764, 143 S.E. 829; West Construction Co. v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 185 N.C. 43, 116 S.E. 3; Fry v. Utilities Co., 183 N.C. 281, 111 S.E. 354; McManus v. Seaboard Air Line R. R. Co., 174 N.C. 735, 94 S.E. 455; Cullifer v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 168 N.C. 309, 84 S.E. 400; Edge v. Atlantic Coast Line Railway Company, 153 N.C. 212, 69 S.E. 74; Styles v. Receivers of Richmond & D. Railroad, 118 N.C. 1084, 24 S.E. 740; Gunter v. Wicker, 85 N.C. 310.

When the evidence is interpreted in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, it reveals this factual situation:

United States Highway No. 64, which runs east and west through Edgecombe County is paved to a width of 20 feet. It has a dirt shoulder 10 feet wide on each side. The plaintiff is subject to dizzy spells of a disabling character. Despite this infirmity, he undertook to walk eastward upon the main-traveled portion of...