Court Opinion

ID: 9753913
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 19:35:01.819486+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:45.136233
License: Public Domain

Henderson, J.,
dissenting in part, filed the following opinion.
Upon the authority of Sieland v. Gallo, 194 Md. 282, 287, and the cases there cited, I think the alleged error, in the failure to instruct as to the effect of an emergency, was cured by the verdicts. See also Wright v. Baker, 197 Md. 315, 318. It is true that here the consolidated cases were not tried upon issues, as in the case last cited, but a correct analysis of the jury’s findings leads inevitably, I think, and without “speculation,” to the conclusion that the alleged error was harmless.
In the action by Mrs. Holmes against Mrs. Stevens, the verdict in favor of Mrs. Holmes could only be predicated upon findings that Mrs. Stevens was negligent and that Mrs. Holmes was not guilty of contributory negligence. Again, in the action by Mr. Stevens against Mrs. Holmes, since he as the owner of the vehicle used by Mrs. Stevens on her own account, would not be barred by the contributory negligence of Mrs. Stevens, the verdict in favor of Mrs. Holmes could only be predicated upon a finding that Mrs. Holmes was free from negligence. It would seem to follow, as the night the day, that the alleged emergency was not created by the neg*411ligence of Mrs. Holmes, but on the contrary was created by the negligence of Mrs. Stevens. As the majority opinion recognizes, the emergency rule is not applicable if the peril is created by the negligence of the party invoking it. Williams v. Dawidowicz, 209 Md. 77, 83, cited in Lehmann v. Johnson, 218 Md. 343, 347.
Factually, the issues in the instant case were simple, and capable of resolution by the determination of whether one or both of the operators were at any time upon the wrong side of the road. The majority opinion outlines only one theory upon which Mrs. Stevens could recover, in suggesting that the jury could have believed Mrs. Holmes crossed the center line when rounding the curve, but that she had returned to her own side “in time to avoid being guilty of negligence,” and that there was “the possibility of an emergency situation, which, if found to exist, would have excused the appellant [Mrs. Stevens] from liability.” In my view, if Mrs. Holmes crossed the center line at any time, in such proximity to the point of collision as to be the cause of Mrs. Stevens’ turn to the left, the jury could not have found Mrs. Holmes free of negligence. Conversely, if Mrs. Stevens turned to the left, at a time when such a choice was not forced upon her by Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Stevens would not be excused from the consequence of her choice, even if she had been in the proper lane at that time. In short, I can visualize no factual situation, consistent with the findings of the jury, that would allow her to recover against Mrs. Holmes, or vice versa. I think all of the judgments should be affirmed.