Opinion ID: 1280232
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: specifications of error

Text: 1. That the Court erred in not allowing the testimony of Mr. Zavalney the grader operator, or an expert witness the McLean County Engineer Mr. Johnson, to testify as to the normal practice followed in McLean County with regard to grading and maintaining the roads and that the manner followed in the present instant was safe and prudent. 2. Errors in the instructions to the jury and errors in failing to give instructions to the jury requested by the defendant. 3. That the Court erred in giving the instructions contained in Pages 12, 13 and 14 through Line 19, as set out in the Court's written instructions which were delivered to counsel for plaintiff and defendant, and in particular to the following instruction at the top of Page 14, to-wit: `The Defendant [ sic ] County, in order to come under the exemption stated above has the burden of proving: `1. That the work upon the surface of the highway was necessary; `2. That it was carried on in a safe and prudent manner.' 4. Errors in law occuring [ sic ] at the trial, which errors consisted of rulings of the Trial Court adverse to the defendant, to-wit: a) Allowing testimony by the plaintiff that he would be unable to continue his schooling because of a lack of money, which testimony was irrelevant and highly prejudicial (page 5, line 25 of transcript). b) Questioning Mr. Zavaleny [ sic ] as to whether the hill was dangerous, which testimony was conclusionary and highly prejudicial (page 215, line 22 of transcript). c) Failure to admit into evidence official highway department charts showing stopping distances and reaction times (page 164, line 22 and page 165, line 3 of transcript). d) Not allowing Mr. Johnson, the engineer to testify as to his estimate of the height of a flag staff on top of the road grader (page 177, line 13 of transcript). e) Not allowing Mr. Zavaleny [ sic ] to testify that he occasionally met cars while grading on the road that went to his right to pass the grader (page 223, line 4 of transcript). 5. Errors in law occuring [ sic ] at the trial which include all rulings of the Court in the admission of testimony adverse to the defendant. 6. The Court erred in denying defendant's motion for a directed verdict for the dismissal of plaintiff's complaint.