Opinion ID: 1806129
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Heading Rank: 3

Heading: assumption of risk intoxication

Text: V. In directing a verdict on the intoxication division the trial court also noted substantial evidence plaintiff assumed the risk. It felt assumption of risk had been proved as a matter of law and gave that as a further reason for its action. We do not agree. Assumption of risk is an affirmative defense. It must be pled and proved by the party asserting it. Lamaak v. Brown, 259 Iowa 1324, 147 N.W.2d 915. Only in rare cases can it be said one having the burden of proof on an issue has proved the affirmative of the issue as a matter of law. Clubb v. Osborn, 260 Iowa 223, 149 N.W.2d 318; Augusta v. Jensen, 241 Iowa 697, 42 N.W.2d 383. In this case plaintiff was with defendant over a period of about four hours. He knew defendant had either 4 or 5 drinks during that time but he did not know how much defendant had prior to their getting together. He mixed the final drink at defendant's request. On the other hand plaintiff testified defendant appeared to be all right. No one testified he acted unusual or showed the effects of his drinking. In Augusta v. Jensen, supra, we said:    But, under a record where all of the testimony shows the driver was not obviously intoxicated, and the guest testified he did not appear to her to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor, the question of assumption of risk would be for the court in a case where the jury is waived. Wittrock v. Newcom, supra [224 Iowa 925, 277 N.W. 286]; White v. Zell, 224 Iowa 359, 276 N.W. 76. (loc. cit. 241 Iowa pp. 700-701, 42 N.W.2d p. 385). There are two lines of cases in Iowa on this subject. Under the peculiar facts of some cases we have held assumption of risk to be proved as a matter of law where plaintiff and defendant were drinking together before the accident. Christopherson v. Christensen, 258 Iowa 648, 140 N.W. 2d 146; Reeves v. Beekman, 256 Iowa 263, 127 N.W.2d 95; Garrity v. Mangan, 232 Iowa 1188, 6 N.W.2d 292. [1] In other cases we have held the matter was one to be decided by the jury, White v. Zell, 224 Iowa 359, 276 N.W. 76 (new trial on the issue was granted); Augusta v. Jensen, supra, (drinking at a dance and later from a pint bottle of whiskey mixed with 7-Up); Booth v. General Mills, Inc., 243 Iowa 206, 49 N.W.2d 561 (case must be read with comparison case Agans v. General Mills, Inc., 242 Iowa 978, 48 N.W.2d 242); Thornbury v. Maley, 242 Iowa 70, 45 N.W. 2d 576 (drinking an issue in recklessness case, court properly refused to submit assumption risk); Evans v. Holsinger, 242 Iowa 990, 48 N.W.2d 250, 28 A.L.R.2d 1434 (both parties drinking, assumption of risk properly submitted to jury); Berge v. Harris (Iowa) 170 N.W.2d 621 (plaintiff knew defendant had been drinking, but didn't know how much); Winkler v. Patten (Iowa) 175 N.W.2d 126, opinion filed March 4, 1970. Bohnsack v. Driftmier, 243 Iowa 383, 52 N.W.2d 79, contains the most thorough analysis of the problem of assumption of risk by the guest where the host driver has been drinking intoxicating liquors and the guest knows this fact. The evidence as to amount of liquor consumed was substantial. The parties were together several hours; there was ample evidence defendant was driving while under the influence of liquor. In considering the assumption of risk instruction given in Bohnsack v. Driftmier, we said:    The jury was told it is the law that where one voluntarily becomes a guest in an automobile when he knows or should have known the driver is under the influence of liquor, he is deemed to assume the risk of an accident and injury and cannot recover against the driver. Later, in applying the law to the facts of the case instruction 5 states that if decedent knew defendant was intoxicated, or if a reasonable man under like circumstances would have known such fact, plaintiff cannot recover. (loc. cit. 243 Iowa at page 390, 52 N.W.2d at page 83). The case was reversed. We said in part: Mere lack of care, without more, does not amount to assumption of risk. The doctrine involves a choice between a course known to be dangerous and one that is not.   . It cannot logically be held that one has deliberately chosen a dangerous course of which he is ignorant merely because he should have known of it. The effect of instruction 5 here is to enlarge the doctrine of assumed risk to include conduct which amounts merely to contributory negligence notwithstanding our repeated decisions that contributory negligence is not an issue or a defense in actions under our guest statute.    Defendant argues, in effect, that if instruction 5 was error in the respect claimed it was without prejudice to plaintiff because, it is said, plaintiff's decedent assumed the risk of defendant's intoxication as a matter of law. But we think this defense was for the jury. While, as stated, there is ample evidence and it is admitted defendant was intoxicated when the men left Sheffield, there is also substantial testimony he appeared not to be intoxicated and to be able to drive his car.   . (loc. cit. 243 Iowa 392, 393, 394, 52 N.W.2d 84-85). In Berge v. Harris (Iowa) 170 N.W.2d 621, 624, we said: Evidence that defendant did not appear to be intoxicated was important in holding a jury question on assumption of risk was engendered. (Five Iowa cases cited).   . In Jones v. O'Bryon, 254 Iowa 31, 116 N.W.2d 461, 465, we approved an interpretation of the Bohnsack v. Driftmier case to require actual knowledge before a risk can be held to have been assumed. We conclude the defense of assumption of risk under the present record was for the jury.