Law Commons^™

Negligence - Breach Of Duty - Assured Clear Distance Ahead Doctrine, Herbert A. Bernhard

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, while driving an automobile through a tunnel, collided with defendant's truck, which was stopped without lights. The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code requires an operator to drive at such a speed as will enable him to stop within the "assured clear distance ahead." Plaintiff alleged he was temporarily blinded by the sudden change from bright sunlight to the darkness of the tunnel. The jury found for plaintiff, but defendant's motion for judgment n. o. v. was granted. On appeal, held, affirmed, one justice dissenting. Plaintiff's failure to stop his automobile within the assured clear distance ahead constituted contributory negligence as …

Administrative Officers' Tort Liability, Kenneth Culp Davis

Michigan Law Review

Case law on tort liability of public officers and employees is much more interesting than one might expect on the basis of abstract contemplation. The traditional common-law notion that an employee should, as against the employer, bear the ultimate responsibility for his negligence has been exposed as seriously unrealistic in a holding by a unanimous Supreme Court; the decision concerning the government employee is potentially applicable to corporate employees. The many holdings that officers are not liable for deliberate and malicious torts are based on the intriguing view that justice cannot be done when malice is proved, without opening the …

Negligence - Breach Of Duty - Liability Of Telephone Company For Failure To Relay Fire Alarm, Cyril Moscow S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Upon discovering a fire within his business building, plaintiff immediately went to the telephone and dialed the operator. After telling her his address and requesting that she call the fire department, he left the telephone to fight the fire. The message was not transmitted. When the fire department finally arrived in response to an alarm by a neighbor, the fire was out of control and the entire building was destroyed. Plaintiff sought damages, alleging that the telephone company held itself out to the public as willing to convey messages in case of emergency, and that failure to transmit his message …

Torts - Nuisance - Personal Annoyance As Sole Injury, Michael Scott

Michigan Law Review

Several thousand sales slips, mistakenly printed to bear plaintiff's telephone number, were supplied to the defendant store and were circulated widely by the latter's employees incident to normal sales transactions. Calls from defendant's customers soon burdened plaintiff's telephone, and despite numerous complaints by plaintiff over a two-year period, defendant refused or neglected to terminate use of the incorrect slips. On appeal from judgment for plaintiff in a suit for damages, held, affirmed. Defendant's acts resulted in an actual invasion of plaintiff's right to enjoy her property without unreasonable interference. Damages for personal annoyance and inconvenience alone are allowable in …

Restitution - Waiver Of Tort And Suit In Assumpsit - Amount Of Recovery Where There Has Been A Sale, Charles B. Renfrew S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In a prior action one of the defendants obtained a judgment against the plaintiff. The present action for conversion was brought because of an allegedly irregular execution sale of plaintiff's business property under that judgment. The trial court granted defendants' motion to dismiss on the ground that the action was barred by the statute of limitations. On appeal, held, affirmed. The applicable statute of limitations was not tolled by fraudulent concealment and plaintiff, having elected his remedy in tort, was not entitled to a trial in an action of assumpsit on the theory of a contract implied by law. …

Torts - Libel And Slander - Calling A Person A Communist As Slader Per Se, Ross Kipka S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In an action for slander, plaintiff alleged that on three separate occasions defendant had orally called or referred to plaintiff as a communist. The court rendered judgment against the defendant, holding that calling a person a communist is slander per se. On appeal, held, affirmed. Since membership in the Communist Party is a felony under Pennsylvania statute, falsely referring to a person as being a communist is slander per se. Solosko v. Paxton, (Pa. 1956) 119 A. (2d) 230.

Negligence - Duty Of Care - Duration Of Status Of "Driver" For Puropses Of Guest Statute, George Kircos

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs were guests riding in defendant's automobile. Defendant stepped out of the vehicle leaving the motor running, the hand brake unset, and the automatic shift in neutral position. A departing passenger brushed against the gear lever and started the vehicle which struck a wall causing injuries to the plaintiffs. On appeal from judgment adverse to the plaintiffs, held, reversed. Defendant may be held liable for ordinary negligence. California's "guest" statute limiting guests to recovery for injuries sustained by the driver's willful misconduct does not apply in this case, since the defendant ceased to be a driver the moment he …

Municipal Corporations - Tort Liability - Duty To Protect Police Informer, Cyril Moscow

Michigan Law Review

Decedent furnished information leading to the arrest of the notorious "Willie the Actor" Sutton. The police, after being notified of anonymous threats to decedent's person, furnished protection, which was later withdrawn. Soon afterwards, decedent was murdered by unknown assailants. Decedent's administrator brought this action to recover damages for his death, claiming that there was a failure to provide adequate police protection. The trial court dismissed the action. On appeal, held, affirmed per curiam, one justice dissenting. As a member of the general public, no duty of special protection was owed the decedent. Even assuming such a duty existed, it …

Sales - Contributory Negligence - Use As A Defense In Action For Breach Of Implied Warranty, Thomas S. Erickson

Michigan Law Review

Defendant installed an oil burner in plaintiff's apartment building. The burner failed to function properly and exploded two months after installation. There was no evidence that the furnace was repaired subsequent to the explosion. Plaintiff continued to use the furnace for four years until a second explosion caused considerable damage to the building. Upon inspection, the cause of the explosions was found to be a defective system of heating and piping the oil. Plaintiff brought this action for breach of implied warranty to install the furnace in a good and workmanlike manner and recovered consequential damages. On appeal, held, …

Torts - Parent - Child Action By Child For Indirect Interference With Family Relationship, William R. Jentes S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Five minor children sued for the loss of their mother's support, care and affection which resulted from the defendant's negligent injury of the mother in an auto accident. Defendant moved to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. Held, motion denied. A minor child has a cause of action for damages resulting from an indirect, negligent interference with his rights in the family relationship. Scruggs v. Meredith, (D.C. Hawaii 1955) 134 F. Supp. 86.8.

Cml- Procedure - Jurisdiction - Recent Legislation Asserting Jurisdiction Over Nonresident Tort-Feasors, A. Duncan Whitaker

Michigan Law Review

A recent Illinois statute provides inter alia that a nonresident person who commits a tortious act within the state submits to the jurisdiction of the state as to any cause of action arising out of such act. The statute provides that process personally served on the defendant outside the state shall have the same force and effect as though the summons had been personally served within the state. Ill. Rev. Stat. (1955) c. no, § 17.

Conflict Of Laws - Torts - Proper Party Plaintiff In Wrongful Death Actions, John M. Webb

Michigan Law Review

The purpose of this comment is to examine the differing solutions and determine the vitality of the common law rule in wrongful death actions.

Taxation - Federal Income Tax - Damages For Injury To Business As Return Of Capital Or Income, Eric Bergsten S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The taxpayers, owners of two movie theatres, recovered $36,000 in a compromise settlement of a Clayton Act suit against the major distributors and exhibitors. The taxpayers claimed that the amount received was a return of capital. The Commissioner claimed the amount received represented the recovery of lost profits. Held, Commissioner upheld. The evidence presented did not warrant a finding that any part of the sum recovered represented a return of capital. Chalmers Cullins, 24 T.C. 322 (1955).

Torts - Liability Of Supplier Of Chattel - Proof Of Manufacturer's Negligence, Whitmore Gray

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff service station operator brought an action to recover for injuries resulting from the explosion of one of defendant manufacturer's tires. The tire, while admittedly new, had been purchased by a third party some eighteen months before being brought to the plaintiff for mounting. In addition to his own testimony, the only evidence supporting plaintiff's claim of negligence was expert testimony that such an explosion could be caused by defective wire in the bead when a tire was inflated to normal pressure, and also that there was opportunity for negligence in defendant's manufacturing processes. The district court set aside the …

Torts - Federal Torts Claims Act- Pertinence Of Governmental Proprietary Distinction, David L. Nelson

Michigan Law Review

The tug Navajo went aground and its cargo was severely damaged by water. The owners and insurers of the tug and its cargo brought an action under the Federal Tort Claims Act alleging that the grounding of the Navajo was caused by the failure of the light in the lighthouse on Chandeleur Island, and that this failure was attributable to negligent acts and omissions on the part of Coast Guard personnel whose duty it was to check the light. The district court dismissed the action on the ground that the United States had not consented to be sued in the …

Regulation Of Business - Fair Trade Acts - Availability Of Injunction Against Nonsigner's Inducing Breach Of Fair Trade Agreement, William R. Jentes S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff manufacturer had extensive agreements with its distributors under the Michigan Fair Trade Act. The circuit court enjoined the defendant, who was not a party to any of these contracts, from inducing the plaintiff's distributors to sell products to the defendant below the agreed fair trade price. On appeal, held, reversed, three justices dissenting. Defendant is privileged to induce the breach of a fair trade agreement which restricts his business opportunities and is contrary to the state's policy against the enforcement of the nonsigner provision of its fair trade law. Argus Cameras, Inc. v. Hall of Distributors, Inc., …

Real Property - Water Rights - Liability For Discharge Of Surface Water, Robert E. Hammell

Michigan Law Review

In 1950 the corporate defendants purchased a forty acre tract of farm land lying north of plaintiffs' golf course and restaurant. Drainage from this tract had always flowed in a natural course southerly through plaintiffs' land. The defendant corporations constructed a subdivision of 169 homes on the tract. This change aggravated the discharge of surface water onto the land of the plaintiffs, increasing the run-off some 350 percent and, in times of heavy rains, producing flood conditions. Plaintiffs were awarded damages and an injunction by the trial court. On appeal, held, reversed. In respect to 30 acres of defendants' …

Torts - Master And Servant - Payment Of Social Security Tax As Evidence Of Relationship, Irving L. Halpern S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff's decedent was killed when his tractor-truck collided with an automobile driven by defendant's salesman. In an action to recover damages for the death of decedent, the trial court submitted to the jury, as evidence bf a master-servant relationship, the payment of social security taxes by the defendant on behalf of the salesman. Judgment was rendered for the plaintiff. On appeal, held, the record of social security payments by defendant on behalf of its salesman was properly submitted to the jury as evidence of a master-servant relationship. Peetz v. Mazek Auto Supply Co., (Neb. 1955) 70 N.W. (2d) …

Maritime Lien Priorities: Cross-Currents Of Theory, Roger G. Connor

Michigan Law Review

The purpose of this article is not to develop a synthesis, for no synthesis is possible, but to give an account of the general theories governing maritime lien priorities, together with a discussion of the concrete issues which arise in their application.

Rationale Of Valuation Of Foreign Money Obligations, Charles Evan

Michigan Law Review

What then should a creditor of a foreign money obligation collect where there was a delay in payment? When are damages for depreciation of foreign money recoverable? As of what time and in what currency are they to be computed? How is the value of a foreign money obligation to be measured where no damages may be had? The answers to these and other incidental questions require a thorough analysis of certain features peculiar to the law of money.

It is the purpose of this article to clarify these problems, to sum up the primary principles by which they are …

Municipal Corporations - Tort Liability - Purchase Of Liability Insurance As Waiver Of Immunity, Alice Austin S.Ed., William C. Becker

Michigan Law Review

According to a well-established common law rule, a municipal corporation is immune to tort liability for wrongs committed in the performance of governmental or public functions, although it is liable for torts committed in the performance of corporate or proprietary functions. This immunity generally cannot be waived without the authorization of the state legislature, and this authorization must be very clearly stated. Interesting questions arise, therefore, when a municipality, with or without statutory authorization, takes out a liability insurance policy covering itself or its agents, or when it causes its agents to take out bonds for faithful performance. The questions …

Municipal Corporations - Statutory Liability For Mob Violence - Definition Of Correctional Power, Nathan B. Driggers

Michigan Law Review

On August 12, 1947 eight Negro families moved into a Chicago public housing development which was occupied largely by white families. On the evening of August 14, several thousand people, protesting the Negro intrusion, congregated in the area, blocking traffic and brandishing bats, bricks, and stones. A large number of policemen were on duty at the scene. The automobile of the plaintiff, a Negro, was intercepted at an intersection by the crowd which began throwing bricks at the occupants of the car. The plaintiff was struck by one missile and suffered severe physical injury. He brought suit against the city …