Court Opinion

ID: 9793797
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:53:14.875069+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:06:54.584201
License: Public Domain

Kaul, J.
(concurring): I agree that summary judgment on the issue of contributory negligence was inappropriate in this case. However, I cannot agree with all of the reasoning expressed in the court’s opinion.
The court still recognizes the principle running through all of our railroad crossing cases that railroad tracks are themselves a warning of danger yet relates a railroad crossing to an ordinary street intersection with respect to the duty of an automobile passenger. Following this reasoning the court adopts PIK (Civil), 8.91, p. 248, as a statement of the legal responsibility of a passenger in all cases, including railroad crossing accidents. I read the court’s opinion as a mandate for the giving of PIK (Civil), 8.91 on the issue of an automobile passenger’s negligence in all crossing cases where such is at issue. I cannot accept the proposition that a passenger’s duty with respect to a railroad crossing is always identical with his duty generally as an automobile passenger. (See, 8 Am. Jur. 2d, Automobiles And Highway Traffic, Sec. 531, p. 88.)
In my view PIK (Civil) 8.91, as quoted in the court’s opinion, is not a fair presentation of the issue, particularly as applied to the case at bar. Plaintiff’s knowledge of the location of the tracks and the frequent use thereof by the railroad were admitted facts. The PIK committee has replaced 8.91 with a revised version (1975 Supplement to PIK 8.91) which reads:
“If a passenger has knowledge of danger and the circumstances are such that an ordinary person would speak out or take other positive action to avoid injury to himself, then it is his duty to do what the ordinary person would do under the circumstances. Unless such knowledge and circumstances exist, he may rely upon the driver to attend to the operation of the vehicle.” (p. 94.)
I believe the above to be a more accurate and concise statement of the applicable law and much more appropriate in the light of the facts developed in the case at bar. It more clearly delineates the duty of a passenger who has knowledge of danger and limits the reliance which he may put upon his driver when he possesses such knowledge. The revised instruction coupled with an instruction that railroad tracks are themselves a warning of danger, I believe would cover the question of a passenger’s contributory negligence in terms understandable to a jury.