Court Opinion

ID: 9774905
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 18:37:53.547319+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:17.596155
License: Public Domain

SHRUM, Presiding Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur in the well-reasoned determination of the majority that the trial court prejudicially erred in receiving Sgt. Bur-ford’s challenged testimony into evidence. I also concur in the conclusion that the plaintiffs’ witness Bentley’s opinion testimony was not admissible1. I respectfully dissent from the determination that the plaintiffs did not make a submissible case.
It is well settled that “the presence of a motor vehicle on the wrong side of the road at the time of collision is, of itself, suffi*823cient to create an inference of negligence.” Friederich v. Chamberlain, 458 S.W.2d 860, 365 (Mo.banc 1970) (emphasis in original); Holmes v. Gamewell, 712 S.W.2d 34, 36 (Mo.App.1986). A vehicle’s presence on the wrong side of the road may be excusable, but the driver has the burden of proving justification. Friederich, 458 S.W.2d at 366; Holmes, 712 S.W.2d at 36.
To illustrate acceptable excuses or justification, the Friederich court quoted, with approval, the following passage from Miles v. Gaddy, 357 S.W.2d 897, 902 (Mo. banc 1962):
“Section 304.015, subd. 2, RSMo 1959, V.A.M.S., provides that upon all public roads or highways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway with these exceptions: (1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle, (2) when a vehicle is making a lawful left turn, (3) when the right half is closed to traffic because of construction or repair, and (4) upon a roadway designated for one-way traffic. Laws 1953, p. 587, § 304.020. Under similar statutes, the cases have also recognized ‘excuses’ or ‘excusable violations’ which appear to be of a sort that could not be avoided in the exercise of the highest degree of care as imposed by § 304.010 upon all operations of a motor vehicle. In this category are sudden and unexpected brake failure, blowout of a tire and non-negligent skid.”
458 S.W.2d at 365 (citations omitted).
Attempting to avoid a collision also is possible justification for the presence of a motor vehicle on the wrong side of the road. Libby v. Hill, 687 S.W.2d 264, 267[9] (Mo.App.1985). Although a variety of circumstances might excuse a motor vehicle operator who drives on the wrong side of the road, “his presence there is sufficient to present an issue of negligence, with his excuse or reason a matter for the jury’s consideration.” Friederich, 458 S.W.2d at 365 (quoting Hodge v. Goffstein, 411 S.W.2d 165, 169 (Mo.1966)). “The jury must decide whether such justification is adequate to excuse negligence.” Holmes, 712 S.W.2d at 36.
The evidence was undisputed that the defendants’ truck was on the wrong side of the road when the crash occurred. The defendants’ evidence was that the truck was on the wrong side of the road because the driver was trying to avoid a collision with the decedent’s motor vehicle. Whether the defendant truck driver was in any way negligent in being on the wrong side of the road or whether he was fully justified by an attempt to avoid the collision was a question for the jury. To hold otherwise contradicts the holding of Friederich and its progeny.
This belief is buttressed by the Committee Comment (1978 Revision) to MAI 17.13 (1991):
The law regarding the effect of skidding evidence in a case involving a motor vehicle accident on the wrong side of the road has been substantially revised by Friederich v. Chamberlain, 458 S.W.2d 360 (Mo. banc 1970). If the evidence shows that defendant is on the wrong side of the road, plaintiff is entitled to go to the jury. Skidding is a circumstance which the jury can consider in connection with all other facts and circumstances in deciding whether defendant was negligent. (Emphasis added.)
Under the cases cited above, this Committee Comment should be read to apply to cases involving evidence that the defendant was on the wrong side of the road in an attempt to avoid a collision.
Without commenting on the strength of the evidence which supports the defendants’ justification for their vehicle’s being on the wrong side of the road, the fact remains that it was there when the collision occurred. Because the evidence supports the assignment of negligence in Instruction 7, I would reverse and remand for a new trial.

. Specifically, I refer to the testimony from Bentley which is summarized in the plaintiffs’ brief as follows: "Plaintiffs offered evidence that had [Chitwood] not purposely swerved to the left the collision could have been avoided."