Thompson v. Graham

Apr 4, 1966
Reporters:
,

In this multiple action of tort for personal injuries, property damage, and consequential damages, ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍the defendant excepted to certain admissions and exclusions of evidence, as well as to various portions of the judge’s charge, on the basis that the charge failed ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍in properly apprising the jury of the law applicable to the case. We have reviewed the charge and, in our view, the jury were not properly instructed relative ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍to the burden of proof, to the issues of negligence and due care, and to the status of the plaintiff, Herbert Thompson, in his ear in which ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍he was a passenger at the time of the accident. We thus must conclude that the charge did not constitute a statement of the law to the ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‍jury sufficient in the circumstances. Bell v. Dorchester Theatre Co. 308 Mass. 118, 123-124. Sullivan v. Sullivan, 333 Mass. 512, 514.

Exceptions sustained.