Opinion ID: 1798674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Scopp's Lookout.

Text: The jury found Scopp causally negligent as to lookout. Appellants concede that he was negligent in this respect, but contend that this negligence was not causal. The evidence at the trial established that Scopp did not see Zartner's activated left-turn direction lights. The question of whether Scopp's failure to see Zartner's left-turn direction signal was causal is answered by this court's statement in Behringer v. State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co.: [5] The jury could well have found that, if Behringer had seen such flashing directional lights, he should have slowed down his speed so as to have his car under such control that he could have avoided a collision if Leffel did turn left in Behringer's path. However, the jury could also reasonably have concluded that Behringer had the right to continue at his existing rate of speed on the assumption that Leffel would not violate the law by turning left directly into Behringer's traffic lane. The purpose of activating directional signal lights, so as to indicate a left turn, usually is to warn traffic to the rear proceeding in the same traffic lane that the driver will be slowing down or stopping so as to permit approaching traffic in the opposite traffic lane to clear the intersection before the left turn will be begun. Because the jury could reasonably have arrived at either of these two conclusions, whether Behringer's negligent lookout was causal presented a jury issue. It cannot be resolved as a matter of law contrary to the jury's express finding. It seems clear, therefore, that it was within the jury's province to find that if Scopp had seen Zartner's directional lights he could have reduced his speed so as to have his car under such control that he might have avoided the collision.