HIRAM TACKETT, JR., AS THE SURVIVING HUSBAND OF MARY ELLEN TACKETT, AND AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARY ELLEN TACKETT, DECEASED, APPELLANT,
v.
WILLIAM J. HARTACK, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1957-11-29
No. 57-225
CARROLL, CHAS., C. J., and PEARSON, J., concur.
98 So. 2d 896 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1957) Positive Treatment
Cited by 18 cases

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Synopsis

In a wrongful death action arising from an automobile accident, the trial court directed a verdict for the defendant after the plaintiff rested his case. The appellate court affirmed, holding that the plaintiff failed to present evidence of actionable negligence by the defendant driver who had proceeded through a green traffic light.


Holding

The trial court properly directed a verdict for the defendant because the plaintiff failed to establish any evidence of actionable negligence. A favorable traffic signal does not give a driver an unqualified right to proceed into an intersection without exercising reasonable care, but here the plaintiff presented no evidence that the defendant failed to exercise such care.


Key Quotes

“A favorable traffic signal does not of itself give a driver of an automobile the unqualified right to proceed into an intersection in the face of traffic presently in the intersection or so close thereto as to create a hazard.”

Establishes the legal principle that even with a green light, a driver must exercise reasonable care and cannot assume the intersection is clear

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Facts & Procedural History

The defendant was driving north on Southwest Eighth Avenue and stopped at a red traffic light at Southwest First Street. When the light turned green, …

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Opinion of the Court
HORTON, Judge.

HORTON, Judge.

The appellant brought suit for damages in the lower court for the death of his wife, resulting from an automobile accident at a street intersection in the City of Miami, Florida. After the appellant had rested his case, the lower court directed a verdict for the appellee. This appeal is from the judgment entered on the directed verdict.

The record discloses that the appellee was the only eyewitness to the accident who testified before the court. It appears from the testimony that the appellee was proceeding north on Southwest Eighth Avenue where the same intersects with Southwest First Street; that the appellee had come to a stop on the south side of Southwest First Street and was awaiting the traffic light change from red to green. Upon the light changing to green, the appellee looked to his right and did not see any traffic in the intersection or oncoming traffic. He then proceeded to enter the intersection and had passed beyond the center of the intersection when his car was struck by an automobile driven by the deceased. The testimony of appellant’s other witnesses supported the appel-lee’s testimony in establishing the point of contact of the automobiles as beyond the center of the intersection of Southwest Eighth Avenue and First Street.

We are now called upon by the appellant! to reverse the directed verdict entered by the lower court. To do so would require an assumption of unproven facts that fail to appear in the record of this cause. The appellant has failed to point out any evidence of actionable negligence on the part of the appellee.

A favorable traffic signal does not of itself give a driver of an automobile the unqualified right to proceed into an intersection in the face of traffic presently in the intersection or so close thereto as to create a hazard. When proceeding into an intersection after a change in the traffic signal, a driver must exercise reasonable care to determine that no impending danger exists. “A vehicle entering a street intersection with a traffic light in his favor is under obligation to use due care and to yield the right of way to vehicles in the intersection.. His right of way is subject to the rights of those already in the intersection.” SA Am, Jur., Automobiles and Highway Traffic, § 313. “One who is approaching or crossing a street or highway intersection has a right to assume, in the absence of any circumstances which would put a reasonable person on notice that such an assumption was unwarranted, that others on or near the crossing will obey any plainly visible or clearly audible traffic signs or signals.” 5A Am.Jur., Automobiles and Highway Traffic, § 312.

The burden was upon the appellant to establish facts that would permit the application of the foregoing principles of law. From the record before us, we fail to find that the appellant has demonstrated any negligence on the part of the appellee. The mere fact that the two automobiles collided would not of itself raise a presumption of negligence on the part of the appellee. Under the circumstances, the lower court had no alternative than to direct a verdict as it did in favor of the appellee.

From the views expressed herein, it follows that the judgment appealed from should' be and it is hereby affirmed.

CARROLL, CHAS., C. J., and PEARSON, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Garris v. Robeison, 146 So. 2d 388 (Fla. 2d DCA 1962)
    …tersection or so close thereto as to create a hazard. When proceeding into an intersection after a change in the traffic signal, a driver must exercise reasonable care to determine that no impending danger exists.” Tackett v. Hartack, Fla. App.1958, 98 So. 2d 896, 897. After applying the foregoing principles of law to the facts in this case, we conclude that the court properly directed a verdict in favor of the plaintiff on the question of liability. All of the testimony tends to show that the plaintiff exe…
  • …s or should have known that another motorist is going to run a red light and has a clear opportunity to avoid the collision. (Emphasis supplied, citations omitted.) See also Mason v. Remick, 107 So. 2d 38, 39 (Fla. 2d DCA 1958); Tackett v. Hartack, 98 So. 2d 896 (Fla. 3d DCA 1957). [*416] Hurloek, in his deposition, said that as he approached the 22nd-Avenue intersection he saw a police car stopped at the red light to his left, so he checked his speedometer to make sure he was going under the speed limit of…
  • …raffic in or so near the intersection so as to constitute an immediate hazard to the ap-pellee. In support of this contention he relies on the cases of Garris v. Robeison (2nd DCA, Fla., 1962) 146 So. 2d 388; Tackett v. Hartack (3rd DCA, Fla., 1957) 98 So. 2d 896. A motorist about to enter an intersection with the traffic signal in his favor has the right of way. Mason v. Remick (Fla.App.1958) 107 So. 2d 38. He also has a right to assume others will obey the law and exercise due care to avoid an accident, K…

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