Opinion ID: 2031859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether Plaintiff's Failure to Supervise Defendant Should be an Absolute Bar to Maintaining the Present Action.

Text: Michael asserts that plaintiff's own conduct should bar her recovery in this action. He relies on Iowa Code sections 321.180(1) and 321.219 (1983) which make it unlawful for a parent to authorize a child under sixteen to drive an automobile under an instruction permit unless supervised by a parent, or a person twenty-five years of age or older, riding in the front seat. It appears without dispute that Michael's parents were not in the front seat supervising his driving. His brother, David, who was in the front seat, was not twenty-five years of age. Moreover, none of these persons were supervising Michael's driving at the time of the accident because they were all sleeping. Michael urges that plaintiff's recovery is barred by the principles which we established in Cole v. Taylor, 301 N.W.2d 766, 768 (Iowa 1981). In that case, a patient sued her psychiatrist for failing to prevent her from committing murder. We observed that such actions should not be maintained on grounds of public policy because of the nature of the criminal act involved. We believe that the Cole case is readily distinguishable from the present facts. Plaintiff is not seeking to recover for another's failure to prevent her own unlawful conduct. She is seeking to recover for injuries sustained by reason of the negligent conduct of another person for which she bears some contributory fault. Consequently, we view the situation as one where the relative degree of causal negligence of both parties should be compared under the Goetzman doctrine in effect at the time of the injury.