The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-12-10
WHERE YOU MAY
CROSS STREET
Motor Club Cites Need Of
Laws That Establish
Responsibility.

Unmeritorious personal injury suits
arising ont Of the use of the automo-
bile. clutter up the courts and cause
many motorists a great deal Of anx-
ietv and in numerous cases a flnan-
cial loss according to the accident
prevention department Of the Chicago
Motor club This department Of the
club is now engaged in an fnvestiga-
fion of personal injury cases. and it
finds that these injuries which are
listed in The records kept by various
cities range from real injury such as
broken limbs. to the rather vague in
juries listed as Shock" In many
cases q shock is a real injury while in
Others it is fiimsy in character.
"a person injured very slightly has
no trouble in bringing suit continues
the bulletin "and many suits are
started because Of the rather wide
spread. but erroneous opinion. that
any injury caused by an automobile is
in itself sufficient grounds upon which
to base a suit and obtain recovery.
lnjuatice to divers of Cars.
Motorists who have become in
volyed in an accident are frequently
astonished to find suit brought against
them, when they know that they have
in no way contributed toward the 40
cident. There is nothing in law, how
ever, 10 prevent anyone from bringing
sllit,' and this has led to the clutter
ing up of our court calendars and to
injustice to the drivers Of automo-
biles
When a motorist is sued he must
file the proper legal papers in answer
to the plaintiffs declaration, and he
is forced to defend his case even
though he knows the plaintiff is en-
firely In the wrong.
"The cost of procuring the attend
ance of his witnesses. lawyers fees,
and the fees of court reporters falls
upon the defendant in such a case,
and even if he is given a favorable
verdict he finds himself considerably
out of pocket.
when the general public begins to-
realize that an injury is not in itself
sufficient grounds for recovery, but
that the liability of the driver must be
shown, there will be fewer suits of
this nature entered in our courts.
Attempts Made to Defraud.
''Iil some. cases, of course. a DELHI
crate attempt is made to defraud the
car owner. The injured or supposedly
Injured persons are willing to gamble
tbot tIf, c.x,r,, y>.,tt,ioe 80 ~ 4,,,.x- ILL
be with them, and that an adverse YER
dict will not be found in the higher
courts
.The remedy lies in the enactment
of laws that will definitely establish
the responsibility of pedestrians. The
railroads have different condition to
face than has the car owner The only
concern Of the railway is to avoid will
full, wanton neglect. The man who
ventures upon a railroad right Of way
is a trespasser, but the motorist in
the street has no right of way Our
laws were framed when our popula-
tion was pedestrian one but today
with l7,5000O0 automobiles in use on
our highways a more equitable distri-.
button of responsibility is being de-
manded
This demand does not consider al
towing the driver Of a motor vehicle
to travel at any rate of speed he may
see fit to use, but rather 1t considers
establishing certain places where the
pedestrian may cross a street and be
within his rights, and others where he
would be trespasser. Crossing the
street in the middle of the block is the
direct cause of numerous accidents,
and it should be made an act of tres
pass. When such laws are enacted
there will be fewer unjust suits
brought into our courts"