Court Opinion

ID: 9559754
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:35:08.2589+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:38.498611
License: Public Domain

SCHAUER, J.
I dissent. The standard of conduct re-
quired of the defendant in this case exceeds that imposed in any reported case which has come to my attention. The majority require that the defendant in entering and crossing a street intersection at a lawful rate of speed, and having the right of way over plaintiff, should have looked right, looked left, looked ahead (all of which he did do) and have anticipated that plaintiff riding a motor scooter approaching amd entering the same intersection from the defendant’s left at a speed not over 30 miles per hour would for more than 75 feet of his travel look neither right or left nor ahead but only behind him, would violate the law by failing to yield the right of way to defendant, and crash into defendant’s car. For failing to anticipate all these things and avoid the accident defendant is liable to plaintiff in damages on the theory of last clear chance. The plaintiff, hold the majority, was in a position of danger from which he could not, and could not be expected by a reasonable man to, extricate himself.
The tendency of courts in recent years to extend application of the last clear chance doctrine has been manifest. I think there should be a limit to its extension and that this case passes reasonable bounds.