Opinion

Davis v. Drennen Co. Department Store

  • 189 Ala. 683
  • 66 So. 642
  • 1914 Ala. LEXIS 197
Court
Supreme Court of Alabama
Filed
Nov 7, 1914
Status
Published
Author
Somerville
On the bench
Anderson, Graffenribd, McClellan, Somerville
Cited by
1 cases
Authority
More cited than 58.0%

The opinion

SOMERVILLE, J.

Where a complaint undertakes to set out, as the negligence relied on, certain conduct of the defendant which is upon its face no more than simple negligence, an additional averment that the defendant thereby, i. e., in that way, wantonly or intentionally injured the plaintiff, is no more than the unsupported conclusion of the pleader; and such a complaint is insufficient upon apt demurrer. —B. R. L. & P. Co. v. Brown, 150 Ala. 327 , 43 South. 342 ; Neyman v. A. G. S. R. Co., 172 Ala. 606 , 55 South. 509 , Ann. Cas. 1913E, 232.

This is, of course, with full recognition of the general rule that the charge of a negligent, or wanton, or willful injury may be sufficiently made in the most general terms. The complaint in this case is, however, clearly distinguishable from the complaints presented *686 in the two cases above cited, and others to the same effect.

In B. R. L. & P. Co. v. Brown, supra, it was expressly predicated that: “There 'is no averment here of a purpose to inflict the injury, and it cannot be said, therefore, that it was intentionally done.”

On the contrary, the complaint in this case specifically charges that the defendant’s servant “wantonly or intentionally caused plaintiff to suffer said injuries and damage by wantonly or intentionally” running his wagon against her buggy.

Conceding that the second and third grounds of demurrer reach the point discussed — which seems doubtful — we think that they are hypercritical and without merit.

The first and fourth grounds are clearly bad, and need no discussion.

The trial court erred in sustaining the demurrer to the second count. The judgment will therefore be reversed, and a judgment here rendered overruling the demurrer.

Reversed, rendered, and remanded.

Anderson, C. J. and McClellan and de Graffenribd, JJ., concur.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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