Court Opinion

ID: 9682049
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 08:04:20.533607+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:37.200995
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
In our original opinion we stated that, “The foreman told them (Hernandez and Martinez) to walk along the north or left side of the private roadway as Heldenfels had laid a second coat of asphalt along the south side the day before which would probably be soft and sticky.” Respondents question the accuracy of the statement that the foreman told the workmen to walk on the north side of the road. It is quite apparent from the record that the foreman assumed that Martinez and Hernandez would use the roadway as it was the most direct way from the quonset hut to the main gate. While he did not say in so many words, “walk on the north side,” this direction can be reasonably, 'if not necessarily, inferred from the direction to stay off the portion of the road which had been covered by fresh asphalt. It was possible for Hernandez to have reached the gate by not going upon the roadway at all, but the jury found that he did not voluntarily expose himself to injury in making use of *203the road. The dominant basis of our decision is that there was no showing that Heldenfels Brothers had exclusive possession of the roadway insofar as Southwestern Oil & Refining Company (the owner of the premises) and its employees were concerned. There is nothing contained in respondents’ motion for rehearing which persuades us that this basic holding is incorrect.
The motion for rehearing is overruled.