Court Opinion

ID: 9523926
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 02:48:24.202173+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:08:36.977142
License: Public Domain

CHIEF JUSTICE RYAN, dissenting: Whether the petition under section 2 — 1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 110, par. 2— 1401) be considered on the basis of negligence, as the appellate court did, or on the basis of wilful and wanton conduct, as does the majority of this court, the allegations do not establish a basis for a new trial. I must, therefore, dissent. The evidence clearly established that the crossing signals were malfunctioning at the time of the accident, in that they were flashing continuously. The jury was well aware of this. However, the malfunctioning of the signals was not the proximate cause of this accident whether the malfunctioning signals constituted negligence or wilful or wanton misconduct. When the plaintiff approached the crossing, he stopped his truck and looked for oncoming trains. That is exactly what the crossing signals would have alerted him to do if they would have been functioning properly. They could have done no more, and this is so whether or not the fact that they had not been properly maintained or checked was concealed from the plaintiff. The plaintiff could not see the approaching train as he looked to his right, not because of any defect in signals or because of the fact they had not been properly maintained, but because he did not position himself in his truck so that he could have a clear view of the tracks to his right for a sufficient distance to assure him that he could safely cross the tracks. The train was obviously too close to the crossing to permit plaintiff to safely cross the tracks. Although the plaintiff stated he looked to his right, he obviously did not look far enough down the tracks to see the train. He, nonetheless, proceeded onto the tracks in the face of flashing signals, not having taken the necessary precaution to ascertain it was safe to do so. This was the conduct which the jury found to be the proximate cause of the accident. This conduct remains the proximate cause of the accident whether the defendant is charged with negligence or wilful and wanton misconduct, whether or not the signals had been properly maintained, or whether or not the maintenance record of those signals had been concealed from the plaintiff. I therefore must dissent. JUSTICE MORAN joins in this dissent.