Opinion ID: 1586390
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: legal significance of crawford decision as bearing on issue of use

Text: In passing on the issue of whether Crawford's injuries resulted from the use of an automobile, and not solely from a general business risk, we turn to the legal implications inherent in the Crawford decision (239 Minn. 12, 57 N.W. [2d] 648). In holding that the evidence sustained a finding of negligence on the part of Woodrich and that such negligence was a proximate cause of the accident, we pointed out that Woodrich exercised control over the turntable, the roller, and the paver in the congested area and assumed a similar control over any truck the moment it entered the area and mounted the turntable to be turned around for its final backing to discharge its load into the paver. The very moment the vehicle entered the congested area the driver became subject to the exclusive control and supervisory direction of Woodrich and its servants. This was borne out by the verdict of the jury which exonerated driver Zaske and subcontractor Baker of any negligence. We further held that with respect to the exercise of that exclusive control, the evidence sustained a finding of Woodrich's negligence on either or both of two grounds; namely, (1) negligence in the location of the turntable and roller, and (2) negligence in failing to provide adequate supervision for the trucks while they backed up in the congested area. We said (239 Minn. 23, 57 N.W. [2d] 654):    The evidence sustains a finding that there was no justifiable reason for locating the turntable on the west side or for parking the roller midway between the turntable and the paver. The jury could find that the company, charged with knowledge of these conditions, was not in the exercise of due care when it failed to provide adequate supervision for the trucks as they backed through the congested area under conditions which prevented the truck drivers from observing the men who were working along the west form line. Clearly the failure of the turntable operator, who had a clear view along the west form line to the paver, to warn either the plaintiff or Zaske, the truck driver, of the other's presence could be found to constitute negligence imputable to the company. Reasonably the turntable operator should not have given the back-up signal until it was safe for the truck to proceed. We must conclude that there is ample basis for a finding of negligence on the part of the company. (Italics supplied.) 1. In fixing tort liability, negligence is never a material factor unless it is a proximate cause of the accident. Negligence in the location of the turntable and roller could not have been an accident-producing factor in the absence of the backing operation of the Zaske truck. There would have been no accident from the mere mislocation of the turntable if the turntable operator, who had a clear view along the west form line to the paver, had not negligently given Zaske a back-up signal while Crawford was still in a position of obvious peril. Clearly, the negligence of Woodrich in the placement of the equipment and his negligence in exercising supervisory control over the truck's movements were inextricably interwoven as concurrent proximate causes of the accident. Any other conclusion can be justified only by putting reality behind a facade of technicality.