Court Opinion

ID: 9563694
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:44:50.081713+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:01.980203
License: Public Domain

SPENCE, J.
I dissent.
The majority reverses the judgment in this case solely because of its determination that it was prejudicial error to give any instruction on “unavoidable or inevitable” accident. In arriving at this conclusion, the majority expressly overrules Parker v. Womack, 37 Cal.2d 116 [230 P.2d 823], and impliedly overrules numerous other cases which declare that such an instruction correctly states the law.
An instruction on this subject has been given for many years by the trial judges of this state as a so-called stock instruction in negligence cases. Instructions similar to the challenged instruction have been consistently approved by the appellate courts and, as indicated by Mr. Justice Schauer, the concept of “unavoidable accident” has been given express legislative recognition in section 602 of the Vehicle Code. I therefore cannot join the majority in declaring that “the use of an unavoidable accident instruction should be disapproved” or in determining that the giving of the challenged instruction constituted error in this case.
I find no error in the record other than certain invited error, concerning which the majority properly holds that plaintiff “ is in no position to complain.’’ I would therefore affirm the judgment.
The petitions of respondents Yellow Cab Co. and Fred Wurm for a rehearing were denied February 26, 1958. Schauer, J., Spence, J., and McComb, J., were of the opinion that the petitions should be granted.