EDWIN G. GORDON, APPELLANT.
v.
EVAN LINUS MAY, APPELLEE
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Plaintiff Gordon sued defendant May for injuries from a rear-end collision at an intersection. The jury found in favor of May, and Gordon appeals, contending the trial court erred in denying his directed verdict motion and in instructing the jury. The appellate court affirms, finding the issues were properly submitted to the jury and the instructions on the "Distraction Rule" were appropriate.
The trial court did not err. The issues presented were proper jury questions involving disputed facts of material consequence. The instruction on the Distraction Rule was appropriate given the evidence, and no prejudicial error resulted from the jury instructions, though they could have been more concisely presented.
“The issues presented were proper jury questions on disputed issues of fact.”
Establishes that the trial court properly submitted the case to the jury rather than directing a verdict, as disputed factual issues existed.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceGordon stopped his automobile in the northbound lane of U.S. Highway No. 1 at a red traffic light at an intersection in Boca Raton. When the light tur…
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Appellant, plaintiff below, brought suit for personal injuries allegedly sustained by him in an automobile accident. The jury returned a verdict for appellee, defendant below, and this is an appeal from the final judgment.
This case involves a rear-end collision which occurred on a clear, dry day at the intersection of U. S. Highway No. 1 and Camino Real in the City of Boca Raton in Palm Beach County. Appellant had stopped his automobile in the westerly northbound lane of U. S. No. 1 (a four-lane highway) in compliance with a red traffic light. Ap-pellee, also proceeding north in his automobile, testified without contradiction that he had stopped in the same lane some ten to fifteen feet behind appellant; that when the light changed to green both vehicles proceeded slowly forward into the intersection at approximately the same distance apart. Upon .reaching the middle of the intersection, appellant stopped and appellee hit the rear of appellant’s vehicle. Appellant did not notice appellee until the collision. Appellant testified that he stopped in the intersection because a police vehicle was moving into the intersection from the east on Camino Real. Appellee testified that his attention was distracted by the police car with its flashing red light; that he looked away at the police car for a second and when he looked back he found that appellant’s car had stopped suddenly at about the center of the intersection; that he was unable to stop in time to avoid the crash although there was nothing wrong with his brakes. Appellant testified that he came to a' slow stop and did not stop suddenly.
The evidence is not entirely clear as to the location of the police car at the time of the accident. The officer driving it testified that he was escorting a bulldozer which was following him; that he pulled up to the white line where the sidewalk crosses the intersection and stopped; then, with the traffic signal facing him showing red, he moved out approximately one car length beyond such white line and stopped not quite in the traffic lane of the intersection. The officer estimated that he had been stopped some eight to ten seconds before the collision occurred and that appellant’s car stopped some four to six seconds after the police car stopped. Appellant, on the other hand, testified that he stopped before the police vehicle did. The police car was neither sounding its siren nor giving an audible signal, but was using only the flashing red light on top of the car.
Appellee’s answer denied negligence and alleged contributory negligence. Motions for directed verdicts made by both sides at the close of the evidence were denied.
Appellant here contends that the court below erred in (1) denying his motion for directed verdict; (2) instructing the jury on questions not related to the testimony and over-instructing the jury on questions properly presented for its consideration; and (3) erroneously instructing the jury on the Distraction Rule.
We have carefully examined the record in this cause and find appellant’s contentions to be without merit. While we consider that the trial court’s instruction could have been presented in more concise and orderly form, we find, no prejudiciál error resulting to appellant. The. issues presented were proper jury questions on disputed issues of fact. See Staicer v. Hall, Fla.App., 130 So.2d 113.
The evidence clearly' indicates that the presence of the police car with its flashing red light at the intersection precipitated the events which resulted in this accident. Under appellee’s theory of the case, appellant’s alleged contributory negligence (suddenly stopping his 'vehicle in the intersection on a green light without concern to traffic following him when, the police car entering the intersection had already stopped.) was an issue for .the jury to resolve. Negligence of the .appellee, with *396proper consideration given to the Distraction Rule, was also a jury question. Further, we find no error in the charge given on such rule as related to the evidence adduced in this cause.
The judgment of the court below is, therefore, affirmed.
BANNER, Acting C. J., and ALLEN, J., concur.
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Stueber v. Maint., Inc., 205 So. 2d 305 (Fla. 4th DCA 1967)…but was subject to no external diversions which might reasonably have been expected to divert his vision or his mind or both from the dangerous condition which he was approaching. Contrast: Deane v. Johnston, supra, and Gordon v. May, Fla.App.1963, 149 So. 2d 394. The facts in the present case are somewhat similar to those in Tomlinson v. Wilson & Toomer Fertilizer Company, supra, and Bashaw v. Dyke, Fla.App.1960, 122 So. 2d 507, and in our opinion warrant the conclusion here, as in the last cited cases, th…
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Belle M. Kline v. Publix Super Mkts., Inc., 178 So. 2d 739 (Fla. 2d DCA 1965)…construction of the sentences or the words used are amenable to some criticism, so long as the meaning the court intended to convey is reasonably clear. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co. v. Shouse, 1922, 83 Fla. 156, 91 So. 90; Gordon v. May, Fla.App.1963, 149 So. 2d 394. In light of the verdict reached by the jury it is not necessary for us to consider the defendant’s contention that the res ipsa loquitur doctrine was inapplicable in the instant case, for it has not been prejudiced by the giving of the instruction…
Authorities Cited
- Staicer v. Hall, 130 So. 2d 113 (Fla. 2d DCA 1961)