Case Name: WILSON v. MODERN MOBILE HOMES, INC.
Court: Michigan Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1965-10-04
Citations: 376 Mich. 342
Docket Number: Calendar No. 9, Docket No. 50,357
Parties: WILSON v. MODERN MOBILE HOMES, INC.
Judges: Souris, Smith, and Adams, JJ., concurred with T. M. Kavanagh, C. J.
Reporter: Michigan Reports
Volume: 376
Pages: 342–360

Head Matter:
WILSON v. MODERN MOBILE HOMES, INC.
Decision of the Court.
1. Death — Electrocution—Defective House Trailer.
Verdict and judgment for plaintiff-father, as personal representative for estate of 10-year-old daughter, in action for wrongful death from electrocution caused by defective wiring of house trailer is affirmed (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
Separate Opinion.
T. M. Kavanagh, C. J., and Souris, Smith, and Adams, JJ.
2. Sales — Breach of Warranty — Notice.
Notice of breach of warranty required to be given by the uniform sales act and relating to warranty contained in a contract of sale is not a condition precedent to action for breach of an implied warranty arising from a contract of sale (CL 1948, §440.49).
3. Same — Breach of Implied Warranty — Notice.
It is unnecessary to submit matter of notice of breach of an implied warranty to jury in action arising from breach of warranty of contract of sale, since notice as to breach of implied warranty need not be given to seller as a condition precedent to bringing an action.
References for Points in I-Ieadnotes
[1] 5 Am Jur 2d, Appeal and Error § 833 et seq.
[2, 3,14] 46 Am Jur, Sales § 714 et seq.
[4,16, 19] 22 Am Jur 2d, Death §§ 128, 129, 170.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death § 147 et seq.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death § 123 et seq.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death § 254.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death §§ 148, 149, 261.
53 Am Jur, Trial § 824 et seq.
5 Am Jur 2d, Appeal and Error § 894.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death §§ 135, 267: 39 Am Jur, Parent and Child § 80.
20 Am Jur 2d, Courts § 189 et seq.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death § 270.
22 Am Jur 2d, Death § 176.
46 Am Jur, Sales § 716.
i. Death — Damages—Request to Charge — Instructions—Pecuniary Value op Life.
Omission to give request to charge in action under the death act for loss of 10-year-old child that from any award given for companionship there must be deducted the cost of damages for expenses of birth, clothing, and food during period deceased had lived, and pecuniary value of companionship during same period, and that the money value of companionship must be based upon something obtainable in the open market held, not error, in view of instructions given permitting jury to consider funeral expenses, actual medical, surgical, and hospital expenses, and pecuniary, financial loss, and that jury should put a fair evaluation on the life of the deceased (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
5. Same — Loss of Child — Damages—Question for Jury.
A parent, through an action under the death act, may recover the cost of the acquisition of the society and comfort of a child, and a jury is capable of ascertaining such damages, fairly and equitably to all parties (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
6. Same — Damages—Pecuniary Value of Life.
A jury in an action under the death act is required to compute the pecuniary loss suffered because of the taking of the life, the pecuniary value of a life being a compound of many elements and no instruction to subtract, add, or multiply values of companionship is necessary as the jury is to arrive at a determination as to the money value of a life by taking into consideration expenses and companionship as well as other relevant considerations introduced as evidence (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
7. Same — Proximate Cause — House Trailer — Electrocution.
Submission of question to jury as to whether an improper electrical cord had been supplied to purchaser by retailer of house trailer which had obviously been designed for a 8-wire polarized cord held, proper in action under death act, where testimony is disputed as to sufficiency of the cord furnished and which was in use when plaintiff’s child was electrocuted (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
8. Same — Requests to Charge — Instructions—Speculation.
Trial court’s failure to give defendant’s requests to charge in action under death act that the jury is not to be governed by what an attorney does or does not want and that a verdict must not rest on conjecture or guess held, not error, where jury was instructed to rely only on evidence adduced in court and not to speculate (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
9. Same — Additional Instructions.
Trial court’s instructions to jury in action under death act for electrocution of child by trailer sold plaintiff when jury requested additional instructions as “to the way that we would legally approach the question involved” that it should first ■determine the issue of breach of warranty, then negligence, then damages, without restating charge of intervening cause or proximate cause on warranty held, without reversible error, especially where defendant’s attorney raised no objection on the subject at the conclusion of the explanation (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.58%).
10. Same — Burden of Proof — Instructions.
Instruction relative to burden of proof of contributory negligence, when charge given in action under death act is considered as a whole, completely advised jury on the matter (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.58%).
11. Same — Instructions—Pleadings.
Failure of trial court to charge that pleadings filed by a party in action under death act constitute an admission and remain a part of the evidence to be considered by the jury held, not reversible error, where charge, when considered as a whole, correctly stated the law applicable (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691-.58%).
12. Same — Instructions.
Instructions to jury in. action under death act against trailer seller for electrocution of plaintiff’s 10-year-old child, when considered as a whole, which correctly state the law applicable to the particular case and clearly define the issue held, not to contain reversible error, notwithstanding some sentences, considered independently of context, were objectionable (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.58%).
Separate Opinion.
O’Hara, J.
13. Death — Damages—Instruction—Minors—Companionship.
Instruction in action under death act for loss of 10-year-old child that damages recoverable include the value of an individual member of a family as part of a functioning social and economic unit, mutual society and protection, companionship, love, and ,. affection held, not error as within cases construing the act that have been acquiesced in by the legislature (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.58%). .
14. Sales — Breach oe Warranty — Notice. ■
Notice of breach of warranty required to be 'given by the uniform sales act and relating to warranty contained in a contract of sale is not a condition precedent to action for breach of an implied warranty arising from a contract of sale (CL 1948, § 440.49).
Dissenting Opinion.
Black, J;
15. Courts — Opinion—Disavowal oe Decision oe Question — Precedent.
An opinion by the Supreme Court which expressly disavows decision of a particular question would constitute no precedent as against others who may choose to raise, save, and present the question said by the opinion as having been left undecided.
16. Death — Damages—Instructions.
Instruction to jury in action under death act for loss of 10-year- ■ old girl that -in computing damages the jury shpuld consider evidence as, to amount of funeral expenses and money value of the life of the girl, including the expense of birth, food, clothing, medicines, instruction, nurture, and shelter, as well as companionship held, erroneous as to elements of damages (CL 1948, § 691.582).
17. Same — Damages—Present Value op Loss op Companionship.
Omission from charge to jury in action under death act for loss of 10-year-old girl that value of companionship lost and to be lost should be restricted to present value of such damages and limitation of such loss to, 21 years held, not in accordance with rule of damages under the death act as permitted by certain opinion in recently decided cases (CL 1948, § 691.582).
18. Courts — Precedents—Death—Damages—Loss op Companionship!
'A determination by the Supreme Court under the death act that an award of $14,000, as distinguished from $7,500 allowed to remain by trial court, was not excessive, does not constitute authority for allowing vast sums for loss of companionship under such act (CL 1948, § 691.582).
Dissenting Opinion.
Kelly, J.
19. Death — Damages—Instructions.
Instruction to jury in action under death act for loss of 10-year-old girl that in computing damage's the jury should consider evidence as to amount of funeral expenses and money value of the life of the girl, including the expense of birth, food, clothing, medicines, instruction, nurture, and shelter, as well as companionship held, erroneous as to elements of damages (CL 1948, § 691.582).
20. Sales — Sufficiency of Notice to Seller — Evidence.
Trailer seller held, to have had sufficient notice of accidental electrocution of plaintiff’s decedent, his daughter, by evidence showing the seller was notified by the State police on the afternoon it occurred and that the seller had its electrician mahe an inspection of the trailer on the following day.
Dissenting Opinion.
Dethmers, J.
21. Death — Damages—Pecuniary Loss — Loss of Companionship.
Pecuniary loss resulting from the death of a minor child does not include solatium, loss of companionship, or other so-called sentimental loss when recovery is sought under the death act (CL 1948, §§ 691.581, 691.582).
Appeal from Kent; Hoffius (Stuart), J.
Submitted June 4, 1964.
(Calendar No. 9, Docket No. 50,357.)
Decided October 4, 1965.
Case by Harold W. Wilson, administrator of the estate of Jean Anne Wilson, against Modern Mobile Homes, Inc., a Michigan corporation, and Howard L. Veurink for damages for death of minor daughter by electrocution caused by defective wiring of house trailer. Verdict and judgment for plaintiff against defendant Modern Mobile Homes, Inc., and for defendant Veurink. Defendant corporation appeals. Plaintiff cross appeals.
Affirmed.
Warner, Norcross & Judd, Harold S. Sawyer, and Paul K. Gaston, for plaintiff.
Cholette, Perkins & Buchanan (Don V. Souter, of counsel), for defendants.

Opinion:
T. M. Kavanagh, C. J.
Plaintiff, Harold W. Wilson, administrator of the estate of Jean Anne Wilson, deceased, instituted this suit in the Kent county circuit court under the wrongful death act for damages resulting from the accidental electrocution of plaintiff's minor daughter.
The fatal accident occurred on July 12, 1960, when the daughter, Jean Anne, age 10, crawled under the Wilson trailer to retrieve a ball. Jean Anne Wilson thereafter came in contact with the ground and some part of the trailer, resulting in the child being electrocuted'.
Plaintiff originally joined the manufacturer of the trailer, Gordon Hodson, doing business as Holly Coach Company, as a party defendant, but Hodson was dismissed as a defendant prior to trial. The suit was tried against the seller of the trailer, Modern Mobile Homes, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Modern), and Howard L. Veurink, vice-president of Modern.
The amended declaration charged defendants with negligence in the first count and breach of implied warranty in the second count.
Testimony on trial of this case revealed Mr. Wilson purchased the trailer from Modern in May, 1959. An electric cord was furnished with the trailer by defendant Modern and less than a day later Mr. Wilson received a tingling sensation from the handle of the refrigerator. Wilson testified he telephoned Mr. Howard L. Veurink, vice-president of defendant Modern, and was told to turn the plug of the electric cord halfway over and that would eliminate the difficulty.
After having the trailer about two weeks, Wilson went to defendant Modern and talked to Howard Veurink about tbe shocks; Wilson was again told the same thing by Veurink as to turning the plug. Plaintiff testified he followed Veurink's advice and the rest of the summer employed the remedy as to turning the plug each time a tingling sensation was received from the trailer.
In the spring of 1960, Wilson had some trouble with metal on the trailer expanding and he again talked to Howard Veurink at Modern; Veurink then told Wilson he would send a factory man out to check the metal and electrical problems.
In the summer of 1960 Wilson took the trailer and' his family to the McArthur trailer park at Big. Pine Island Lake, Michigan. Wilson could not use the cord on the trailer supplied by defendant Modern and he used a plug given to him by Mr. McArthur.
On the morning of the accident, another trailer owner, while helping Mrs. Wilson connect a water hose, received an electrical shock. The neighbor asked Mrs. Wilson to unplug the electricity while he worked and suggested that she have it checked later. The neighbor testified he saw Mrs. Wilson thereafter connect the electricity again.
Plaintiff contends the trailer was defective in that a metal screw, placed in the side of the trailer in the original construction pierced one of the neutral electrical wires on the side of the trailer. Plaintiff further contends that the cords running from the electrical outlet at McArthur's trailer park to the side of the trailer were not polarized; that built into the side of the trailer was a three-way polarized plug which was designed for three-way polarization to the source of electricity; that the cord furnished by Modern, while having a three-way polarized receptacle at one end had only a two-way unpolarized plug on the other end.
Plaintiff made a two-wire cord, and on the day of the accident the aforementioned wire cord was con nected to the cord furnished by Modern to procure power.
Plaintiff further contends that on the day of the accident the two-way plug on the cord furnished by Modern was inserted in the receptacle on the cord made by Wilson and that the electric current ran through the neutral wire in the trailer which was pierced by the screw, causing a short which energized the skin of the trailer, and thus created the condition resulting in the electrocution of J can Anne Wilson. '
Defendant Modern was notified of the accident by the Michigan State Police on the afternoon it occurred.
On the trial Howard Yeurink testified that the cord "was furnished because in most State parks and all State parks I know of, the only way you can plug in a trailer is with a two-way cord."
The jury returned a verdict against Modern in the sum of $25,000. Both parties agree that the aforesaid verdict had to be based upon either a breach of implied warranty as alleged in plaintiff's amended declaration, or on negligence by Modern in providing plaintiff with a two-wire cord attached to a three-wire polarized plug at one end and an ordinary wall plug at the other end.
Defendant Modern raises 14 questions on appeal, a substantial number of which allege error in the trial court's instructions. The principal questions for our determination are whether the trial court erred in ruling as a matter of law that sufficient notice had been given to defendant Modern and whether the trial court erred in not submitting the question of notice to the jury. These two questions are answered by the majority opinion, written by Justice Black, in Piercefield v. Remington Arms Company, 375 Mich 85, 100, where the Court said:
"For the same reasons as were made to appear in Greenman v. Yuba Power Products, Inc., 59 Cal 2d 57, 60-62 (27 Cal Rptr 697, 699-701, 377 P2d 897, 899-901), I would hold that the giving of notice under said section 49 is not a prerequisite to institution and maintenance of this plaintiff's shit. Said section 49 deals with the rights of the parties to a contract of sale. It does not require that notice must be given of breach of a warranty that arises by legal implication distinct from a contract of sale. 'Such warranties are not imposed by the sales act, but are the product of common-law decisions that'have recognized them in a variety of situations.' (Greenman, at 61 [27 Cal Rptr 699, 377 P2d 899].)"
The Court then proceeded to hold (p 100):
"Since the duty is not imposed by the terms of the contractual relationship, the requirement of notice under the uniform sales act has, in the better view if not in the majority view, been dissipated."
See, also, Browne v. Fenestra, Inc., 375 Mich 566.
Appellant assigns error to the trial court in failing to charge the jury, though requested, that from any award given for companionship, there must be deducted the cost of damages for expenses of birth, clothing, food, et cetera, during the period that the deceased lived, and that the jury must dedilct therefrom the pecuniary value of the companionship received during the same period and contends the trial court's failure to give defendant's request to charge relating to the foregoing resulted in an excessive verdict. Appellant further contends the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that the money value of companionship must be based upon something obtainable in the open market, and that the court erred in charging that the jury must consider the money value of the life of the deceased and put a fair evaluation on this life.
An analysis of the trial court's instructions relative to the damages recoverable in the instant controversy does not indicate any reversible error. Appellant would have this Court overrule our decision in Wycko v. Gnodtke, 361 Mich 331. A majority of this Court affirmed Wycko v. Gnodtke, supra, in Currie v. Fiting, 375 Mich 440.
The trial court instructed the jury that funeral expenses, actual medical, surgical and hospital expenses, and the pecuniary, financial loss, if any, sustained by the parents, may be given consideration in evaluating plaintiff's decedent's damages. Defendant enumerates several reasons why this Court should not follow the holding of Wycko, supra, and should require deduction of the companionship, society and comfort received during the lifetime of the decedent, as well as the cost of procuring the companionship.
We again reaffirm today the holding of Wycko that a parent may properly recover the cost of the acquisition of such society and comfort, and that a jury is capable of ascertaining such damages, fairly and equitably to all parties.
A jury in a death case, as stated in Wycko, supra, is required to compute the pecuniary loss suffered because of the taking of the life. The pecuniary value of the life is composed of "a compound of many elements." No instruction to subtract, add, or multiply is necessary. Juries are to arrive at a determination as to the money value of a life, taking into consideration expenses and companionship as well as other relevant considerations introduced as evidence.
We conclude from a reading of the charge that the trial court correctly instructed the jury as to the law of this jurisdiction concerning damages.
Appellant contends error by the trial court in failing to charge the jury, though requested, that if the jury found it was necessary to have a two-pronged plug in order to procure power for the use of the trailer at State parks, this could not be a proximate cause of the death of plaintiff's decedent. Appellant further charges error to the trial court in failing to grant defendant's motion for directed verdict on the issue of negligence in furnishing a two-wire cord. Appellant's requests relating to the aforesaid errors would have the court instruct the jury as a matter of law that the furnishing of the two-pronged plug could not have been a proximate cause of plaintiff's decedent's death, and defendant could not be guilty of any negligence by reason of furnishing the two-pronged plug.
The evidence relating to the furnishing of an improper electrical cord to the trailer was in dispute. Appellee contends that defendant Modern was negligent in furnishing an improper electrical cord to the trailer in that although it was obvious the trailer was designed for a three-wire polarized cord, the plug at one end of the cord furnished by the defendant Modern was a two-way unpolarized plug.
Defendant Modern admittedly knew that at least some public parks, where presumably the trailer was going to be used, could not use the electrical cord furnished. The jury may well have inferred, if Modern had furnished a polarized cord, this accident would not have occurred. The manufacturer had designed the trailer to be connected with a three-wire system. Presumably, Modern knew this. If so, this is what defendant Modern should have furnished. The testimony is disputed as to whether if the cord furnished by appellant had contained a three-way polarized receptacle at one end which would fit into the side of the trailer and a two-way polarized for the other, which would have fit into the outlet at McArthur's landing, this accident would not have occurred. Under the disputed facts in this record, the trial court correctly submitted these questions to the jury for determination.
Appellant contends error in the trial court's failure to charge defendant's requests 3 and 25, that the jury is not to be governed by what an attorney does or does not want, and that a verdict must not rest upon conjecture or guess. Beading the charge as a whole, it is evident that they were instructed to rely only on evidence adduced in court and not to speculate. The substance of defendant's requests 3 and 25 was given by the court in his own words. We find no error as to these instructions.
Appellant contends error by the trial court in failing to restate the charge of intervening cause or proximate cause on warranty when the jury requested additional instructions. The additional instructions were not on the subject of warranty but rather "to the way that we would legally approach the question involved." The court instructed the jurors to first determine the issue of breach of warranty, then negligence, then damages. It is to be noted that at the conclusion of the explanation by the trial judge to the jury the counsel for defendant raised no objection on this subject. We find no error in this regard.
Appellant further contends that 'the court erred in failing to give defendant's charge number 4 — that while the burden of proving negligence on the part of plaintiff; is upon defendant, this does not mean that defendant must necessarily produce evidence to this effect. The charge as a whole completely advised the jury of the proper burden of proving negligence on the part of plaintiff.
Appellant also asserts error in failure of the trial court to charge that pleadings filed by any party constitute admission and remain a part of the evidence to be considered by the jury.
We find the entire charge of the trial court properly presented the theories of both parties, the law applicable to the case, and we find no reversible error in the instructions of the trial court.
In Bouma v. Dubois, 169 Mich 422, 434, quoted with approval in Gilson v. Bronkhorst, 353 Mich 148, 160, this Court held:
" 'Where the charge of the court, taken as a whole, correctly states the law as applicable to the particular case, and clearly defines the issue, the fact that sentences are objectionable, when considered independent of the context, does not constitute reversible error.' "
The verdict is affirmed. Plaintiff shall have costs.
Souris, Smith, and Adams, JJ., concurred with T. M. Kavanagh, C. J.
CL 1948, § 691.581, 691.582 (Stat Ann 1959 Cum Supp § 27.711, 27.712).
Reference is to CL 1948, § 440.49 (Stat Ann 1959 Rev § 19.289), now in uniform commercial code, PA 1962, No 174, § 2607 (CL 1948, § 440.2607 [Stat Ann 1964 Bev § 19.2607]).—Reporter.