Court Opinion

ID: 9711735
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:38:01.581134+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:07.161339
License: Public Domain

Gehl, J.
(on motion for rehearing). Defendant has moved for a rehearing. It asserts correctly that we overlooked the provisions of sec. 274.12 (2), Stats., in refusing to review its contention that there is no evidence to support the jury’s finding that the lantern signal given by the railway flagman constituted an invitation to the plaintiff to enter the crossing.
If its contention as to the insufficiency of the evidence is correct such determination would merely support the judgment appealed from, and under such circumstances it may have a review without serving notice thereof. What is said in our original opinion as to defendant’s inability to have a review of the question is therefore withdrawn.
The answer of the jury to the question was necessarily to be based upon the testimony as to the manner in which the flagman swung the lantern as plaintiff entered the crossing. The oral testimony offered by plaintiff as to the manner in which the lantern was swung is not as clear and unmistakable in meaning as it might be. He and a witness produced by him, one Smith who followed him in another automobile, testified in substance, and for instance, that the flagman was waving the lantern crosswise “like this” (indicating), “he was making a motion like this” (indicating). “I could see the lantern going this way” (indicating). Upon cross-examination it was apparently sought to obtain from plaintiff a recordable description of the manner in which the lantern was swung. Again he attempted to give an oral description and described it further with a motion of his arm.' The flagman testified that he waved the lantern across the street upon which plaintiff was traveling.
A jury may consider what occurs and what appears from its observation as well as the testimony given orally. Knox v. Bigelow, 15 Wis. *415. In Hiller v. Johnson, 162 Wis. *253b19, 154 N. W. 845, an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the plaintiff was permitted over objection to raise his arm up and down before the jury for the purpose of demonstrating that crepitation resulted, evidencing an injured or imperfect joint. The attention of the jury was called to certain sounds which appeared at the movement of the arm. Obviously, the sounds were unrecordable. This court held that the trial court did not err in permitting the demonstration, thus holding that it is proper for the jury to consider unrecordable demonstrations in arriving at a verdict.
We are unable to say from an examination of the record that the jury was not permitted to infer from the oral testimony and the manual descriptions that the action of the flagman constituted an invitation to the plaintiff to cross ahead of the train. It has not been established by the defendant that there is no credible evidence which, under any reasonable view, admits of inferences which might have been drawn by the jury in answering the question. We may not disturb the answer. Kramer v. Chicago, M., St. P. & P. R. Co. 226 Wis. 118, 276 N. W. 113.
By the Court. — Motion denied without costs.