200 Wis. 261 | Wis. | 1929
On the 15th day of September, 1926, the defendant was a teacher in the Rhinelander high school. On the evening of that day she and three other teachers of that school attended a party at a lake cottage outside the city of Rhinelander, making the trip in a car driven by the defendant. They returned after dark. It was a foggy night, driving was difficult, and they proceeded with great care. A short distance outside the city of Rhinelander they approached a narrow bridge, being of a width which afforded room scarcely more than sufficient to permit two cars to pass. The highway narrows as it approaches this bridge. As she neared the bridge she saw, two cars coming across
The jury found negligence on the part of the defendant in the operation of the car which constituted a proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries, found the plaintiff free from negligence, and assessed her damages at $3,000. That portion of the verdict finding the defendant guilty of negligence is challenged upon this appeal as being unsupported by the evidence in the case.
The testimony of the defendant and the other occupants of her car gives the impression that, upon the whole, during the trip from the cottage into the city, the defendant and the other occupants of her car exercised commendable if not extraordinary care. The night was foggy, she drove slowly, and all occupants of the car maintained a solicitous lookout. However, her conduct generally during the trip is not to be considered if the evidence was such as to justify the jury in finding her negligent in the operation of the car at the time of the accident. While she drew to the side of the road and waited for two cars to cross the bridge, she failed to observe the car in which plaintiff was riding a short distance beyond these cars. There is some contention that her failure to observe this car was due to its dim light. How
A contention is made in the brief that certain physical facts conclusively demonstrate that it was the Ford car rather than the defendant’s car that was on the wrong side of the bridge, and that the Ford car collided with the side of the bridge when turning suddenly to the right to avoid hitting the defendant’s car. However, the physical facts relied upon to support this contention are by no means conclusive, and the evidence left it within the province of the jury to determine whether the collision was the result of the negligence of the defendant or of the driver of the car in which plaintiff was riding.
The judgment might well be affirmed without an opinion were it not for the following question. The court instructed the jury that they might award the plaintiff medical and surgical expenses incurred in curing and relieving the personal injuries resulting from the collision. Appellant contends this was error, as there was no proof that plaintiff was emancipated, and, if not, her parents were responsible for these expenses. A similar 'charge was held to constitute error in Grimes v. Snell, 174 Wis. 557, 183 N. W. 895, citing Kruck v. Wilbur L. Co. 148 Wis. 76, 133 N. W. 1117, where it was declared erroneous to instruct the jury
Perhaps an incident occurring after the jury had retired deserves comment. The jury first returned into court with
By the Court. — The judgment is modified by deducting therefrom the sum of $301, and, as so modified, is affirmed.