Case ID: ohio-law-abs_2/html/0550-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "■SULLIVAN, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

No. 550
    ZAMPLINER v. ROWLANDS
    Ohio Appeals, 8th Dist., Cuyahoga County
    No. 4962.
    Decided March 28, 1924
    225. CHARGE TO JURY — 1. Where counsel fails to call court's attention to omissions in its charge, he thereby waives such errors.
    2. Where jury , renders a general verdict in case where there are more issues than one, verdict will not be disturbed! because of error in court’s charge on one issue.
    Attorneys — Beekerman & Felsman, for Zam-pliner; Dustin, McKeehan, Merrick, Arter & Stewart, for Rowlands; all of Cleveland .
   ■SULLIVAN, J.

Epitomized Opinion

Published Only in Ohio Law Abstract

This was an action by Zampliner to recover damages to his automobile as a result of a collision with defendant’s car. The defendant by way of answer denied all negligence on his part and set up contributory negligence. Two issues were submitted to the jury under the proof and instructions of the court, to wit: the negligence of defendant as a proximate cause of the injury; and contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff. The court in its charge stated to the jury that the violation of the statutory law would be contributory negligence in itself. The jury returned a verdict for the defendant, whereupon plaintiff prosecuted error. In sustaining the judgment of the lower court, the Court of Appeals held:

1. Standing alone, disconnected from the definition of contributory negligence and the statutory provisions as to speed, the statement of the law as given in the court’s charge had the appearance of prejudicial error, but the responsibility of calling the court’s attention to omissions of definition devolved not alone alone upon the court, but upon counsel as well, and upon default of duty therein, by counsel, the error was waived. (State v. McCoy, 88 OS. 447.)

2. Where a jury renders a general verdict for the defendant, it will not be reversed where there is more than one affirmative defense, unless special interrogatories are directed for answer to the jury in order that the basis of the verdict may be ascertained and specified, as under a general verdict it would be impossible to tell where error is directed against only one of the affirmative defenses, upon which issue the jury relied in rendering its verdict.

3. It is settled law in this State that where the issues are such that a finding of either in favor of the successful party entitled him to the judgment rendered, the judgment should not be reversed for error in the instructions to the jury relating exclusively to the other issue.