Court Opinion

ID: 9794515
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 03:07:14.871882+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:17:02.945660
License: Public Domain

DENECKE, J.,
specially concurring in O’Connell, J., dissent.
The entire court is now of the opinion that the doctrine of negligence per se as previously applied must be changed. I view the majority decision as a substantial change. The majority expressly overrules the cases concerning the brake statute. In my opinion the majority also has changed the application of the statutes pertaining to the operation of vehicles. For example, in LaVigne v. Portland Traction Co., 179 Or 221, 170 P2d 709 (1946), the bus driver, exercising his judgment in meeting an emergency, turned onto the wrong side of the road and collided with an oncoming car. We did not discuss his violation of the statute in terms of being “beyond his control” or that it was “impossible” for him to comply with the statute. *503Instead, we used the familiar negligence phrases and found the bus driver acted as a reasonable man and, therefore, the statute was inapplicable. Accord, Marshall v. Olson, 102 Or 502, 202 P 736 (1922). In Raz v. Mills, 231 Or 220, 226, 372 P2d 955 (1962), and Gum, Adm. v. Wooge, 211 Or 149, 159, 315 P2d 119 (1957), we held a violation of the statute made a prima facie case. If I correctly understand the majority opinion, it now holds that it is immaterial whether one in the bus driver’s position acted reasonably; the prima facie rule is rejected; the only acceptable excuse for violating a statute is that it was impossible to not violate the statute.
As the entire court now believes that the negligence per se doctrine is in need of revision and I doubt the finality of the changes made, I am of the opinion that this is an appropriate time to discard it as an illogical anomaly. I concur in Mr. Justice O’Connell’s dissent.