157 N.W. 982 | N.D. | 1916
Plaintiff received injuries by falling into an excavation ■on defendant’s property, and he seeks to recover damages therefor. The facts, briefly stated, are as follows: The accident occurred between 6
At the close of the testimony the defendant moved for a directed verdict in its favor, which motion was granted. We here set out such motion in full, as it is a clear statement of the respondent’s views:
“The defendant at this time moves for a directed verdict in favor of the defendant and against the plaintiff, upon the grounds and for the-reasons, as follows:
“(1) That the plaintiff has failed to make out a prima facie case, and to furnish evidence in support of the material allegations of the-complaint.
“(2) That it appears affirmatively from the plaintiff’s testimony that he was on the premises as a trespasser at the time and place mentioned in the testimony, and at which the accident happened, or as a mere licensee; further, that the defendant owed no duty to him, either as a trespasser or as a licensee, except to refrain from wantonly or wilfully injuring him;
“(3) That there is no evidence of wantonness of wilfulness on the-part of the defendant, and no acts of want of ordinary care on its part;
“(4) That if there is any evidence of an invitation to the plaintiff to-come upon the premises, it appears conclusively that the purpose of the-invitation was to transact business for his own convenience in the bank building, to which there was a well-defined entrance, and that at the-time of the accident the plaintiff was not upon that part of the premises where he was expected to be to transact that business, if there was any invitation;
“(5) That the injury to the plaintiff does not appear to be one which-the defendant, in the light of attending circumstances, might, in the-exercise of ordinary prudence, have foreseen as probably occurring as-a result of leaving this excavation unguarded upon the south side.
“(6) That there is nothing to show that the usual and ordinary approach to the bank was not in a safe condition;
“(7) It does not appear that the accident was the natural or probable-consequence of the excavation, or of leaving the excavation unguarded
There are really but two questions involved: First, Was defendant guilty of negligence which was the proximate cause of the injury? and, second, was plaintiff guilty of contributory negligence ?
.Taking up the first question, the inquiry logically arises as to what legal duty, if any, was owing by defendant to plaintiff; for in the absence of such duty and a breach thereof, of course no negligence can be properly charged to defendant, there being no claim of any wanton or wilful negligence on defendant’s part.
Counsel for appellant very candidly admits that the settled rule of law is that, if his client in going where he did was a trespasser or merely a bare licensee, defendant owed him no duty, but he contends that the facts bring the case within a well-recognized exception to such rule, which he quotes from 29 Cyc. 450, 451, as follows: “There is a class of cases, however, which stand on a ground peculiar to themselves. They are where defendant by his conduct has induced the public to use a way, in the belief that it is a street or public way which all have a right to use, and where they suppose they will be safe. The liability in such a case is coextensive with the implied invitation.”
While the above quotation, no doubt, embraces a sound statement of the law, we are unable to perceive its application to the facts in this record. Of course, if defendant through the conduct of its officers led the public to believe that they were privileged to use the north end of such lot as a public highway, or if such officers impliedly invited the public to thus use the same, it would necessitate on defendant’s part the exercise of care for their safety corresponding with the extent of such implied invitation. In other words, its liability in that case would be coextensive with such implied invitation; but the record before us does not, in our judgment, warrant a finding of any such implied invitation. At the most, it merely discloses that prior to such excavation persons in going from place to place in the town traveled promiscuously without any heed being given to streets or private property, and that
Many authorities might be cited lending support to our views above •expressed, but we content ourselves with a reference to the following: O’Leary v. Brooks Elevator Co. 7 N. D. 554, 41 L.R.A. 677, 75 N. W. 919, 4 Am. Neg. Rep. 451; Gramlich v. Wurst, 86 Pa. 74, 27 Am. Rep. 684; Parker v. Portland Pub. Co. 69 Me. 173, 31 Am. Rep. 262; Cowan v. Kirby, 180 Mass. 504, 62 N. E. 968, 11 Am. Neg. Pep. 261; Pierce v. Whitcomb, 48 Vt. 127, 21 Am. Rep. 120; Schmidt v. Bauer, 80 Cal. 565, 5 L.R.A. 580, 22 Pac. 25; Habina v. Twin City General Electric Co. 150 Mich. 147, 13 L.R.A.(N.S.) 1126, 113 N W. 586; Evansville & T. H. R. Co. v. Griffin, 100 Ind. 221, 50 Am. Rep. 784; Redigan v. Boston & M. R. Co. 155 Mass. 44, 14 L.R.A. 276, 31 Am. St. Rep. 520, 28 N. E. 1133; Fox v. Warner-Quinlan Asphalt Co. 204 N. Y. 241, 38 L.RA.(N.S.) 395, 97 N. E. 497, Ann. Cas. 1913C,
As we view it, there is another insuperable barrier to plaintiff’s recovery in this action. His injury was the result of a want of ordinary care on his part, which directly contributed to cause the same. While the question of contributory negligence is -usually one of fact for the jury, yet where — as in the case at bar — the facts are hot in dispute, it becomes a pure question of law for the court. It is an established fact in the case that, for at least three or four days prior to the accident, such excavation had been completed, and, obviously, for sometime prior thereto travel across the north portion of defendant’s lot had been abandoned, and persons leaving the bank were obliged to go east on to Central avenue. Both the ingress and egress provided for those visiting the bank were by way of such avenue lying directly east of the bank building. Plaintiff called at the bank in the afternoon when it was broad daylight, and should have discovered both the excavation and the guards at the north and east of it. At the time of .the injury it was very dark, and, without any right to assume that it was a public way and free from obstructions, he hurriedly walked to the point where he was injured, without a lantern or any light, and apparently utterly heedless of dangerous pitfalls or other obstructions. Such conduct was not that of a reasonably prudent person. The fact that it was a very dark night, as well as the other surrounding circumstances, required of him the use of extra precautions, which he did not take, and under the law he cannot recover. Parker v. Portland Pub. Co. 69 Me. 173, 31 Am. Rep. 262; Rooney v. Woolworth, 74 Conn. 720, 52 Atl. 411; Bedell v. Berkey, 76 Mich. 435, 15 Am. St. Rep. 370, 43 N. W. 308; Bentley v. Loverock, 102 Ill. App. 166; Lackat v. Lutz, 94 Ky. 287, 22 S. W. 218; Daley v. Kinsman, 182 Mass. 306, 65 N. E. 385, 13 Am. Neg. Rep. 95; Campbell v. Abbot, 176 Mass. 246, 57 N. E. 462; Massey v. Seller, 45 Or. 267, 77 Pac. 397, 16 Am. Neg. Rep. 553; Steger v. Immen, 157 Mich. 494, 24 L.R.A.(N.S.) 247, 122 N. W. 104; Reed v. Axtell, 84 Va. 231, 48 S. E. 587, 16 Am. Neg. Cas. 346. The case of Massey v. Seller, 45 Or. 267, 77 Pac. 397, 16 Am. Neg. Rep. 553, is where plaintiff approached the outer door of defendant’s premises, and, observing a dark comer, assumed that it was a water-closet, and walked into it to find that it was an elevator shaft. He
Judgment affirmed.