{ "id": 8631803, "name": "JAMES M. CALDWELL v. R. L. ABERNETHY, Administrator of the Estate of S. S. CARPENTER, Deceased", "name_abbreviation": "Caldwell v. Abernethy", "decision_date": "1950-04-12", "docket_number": "", "first_page": "692", "last_page": "696", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "231 N.C. 692" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.C.", "id": 9292, "name": "Supreme Court of North Carolina" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 5, "name_long": "North Carolina", "name": "N.C." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "55 P. 736", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "P.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "12 Colo. App. 277", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Colo. App.", "case_ids": [ 4458958 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/colo-app/12/0277-01" ] }, { "cite": "39 P. 850", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "P.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "5 Colo. App. 324", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Colo. 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"raw": 6.302685744862994e-08, "percentile": 0.3878733856684309 }, "sha256": "631b3bc45ac55eba1e65569e7a200e85de552bb1a6b70d6cec2a929f9c802789", "simhash": "1:2b82c7c2870a81d9", "word_count": 1740 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T22:38:15.383158+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [], "parties": [ "JAMES M. CALDWELL v. R. L. ABERNETHY, Administrator of the Estate of S. S. CARPENTER, Deceased." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "Denny, J.\nThe minor child of the plaintiff having been killed in the State of Colorado, the plaintiff\u2019s right to recover for the loss of services of such child must be determined by the law of that jurisdiction. Morse v. Walker, 229 N.C. 778, 51 S.E. 2d 496; Harper v. Harper and Wickham v. Harper, 225 N.C. 260, 34 S.E. 2d 185; Buckner v. Wheeldon, 225 N.C. 62, 33 S.E. 2d 480; Baird v. Baird, 223 N.C. 730, 28 S.E. 2d 225; Charnock v. Taylor, 223 N.C. 360, 26 S.E. 2d 911; Frederick v. Ins. Co., 221 N.C. 409, 20 S.E. 2d 372; Farfour v. Fahad, 214 N.C. 281, 199 S.E. 521; Rodwell v. Coach Co., 205 N.C. 292, 171 S.E. 82; Howard v. Howard, 200 N.C. 574, 158 S.E. 101.\nThe right to recover damages for loss of services growing out of an injury resulting in death is not recoverable at common law from the time of death. Accordingly, there is no remedy available at common law for the recovery of loss of services in cases of instantaneous death. 16 Am. Jur., Sec. 45, p. 36; 25 C.J.S., Sec. 13, p. 1075; Killian v. R. R., 128 N.C. 261, 38 S.E. 873; Gurley v. Power Co., 172 N.C. 690, 90 S.E. 943; Croom v. Murphy, 179 N.C. 393, 102 S.E. 706; Craig v. Lumber Co., 189 N.C. 137, 126 S.E. 312; White v. Comrs. of Johnston, 217 N.C. 329, 7 S.E. 2d 825.\nIn Gurley v. Power Co., supra, this Court said: \u201cAn action for the recovery of wages of a minor or for injury to him lies in favor of the parents; but if the child dies from the injury the action abates. The only action that lies in such case, in this State, is for wrongful death, as authorized by Revisal 59 (now G.S. 28-173), and that embraces everything. In such action the value of the life before 21 as well as after 21 years of age is recoverable. No other action lies than this.\u201d\nIn the instant case, however, if the plaintiff would be permitted to maintain this action under the lex loci, comity permits it to be maintained in this jurisdiction. Rodwell v. Coach Co., supra; Howard v. Howard, supra.\nThe wrongful death statute in the State of Colorado, .applicable to the facts in this case, and of which we are bound to take judicial notice, G.S. 8-4, Suskin v. Hodges, 216 N.C. 333, 4 S.E. 2d 891; Lewis v. Furr, 228 N.C. 89, 44 S.E. 2d 604, provides: \u201cWhenever the death of a person shall be caused by a wrongful act, neglect or default of another, and the act, neglect or default is such as would (if death had not ensued) have entitled the party injured to maintain an action and recover damages in respect thereof, then, and in every such case, the person who, or the corporation which would have been liable, if death had not ensued, shall be liable to an action for damages notwithstanding the death of the party injured.\u201d Chapter 50, sec. 2 of the 1935 Colorado Statutes Annotated; C.L. sec. 6303. And sec. 3 of the same chapter, C. L. sec. 6304, reads as follows: \u201cAll damages accruing under the last preceding section shall be sued for and recovered by the same parties and in the same manner as provided in section 1 of this chapter, and in every such action the jury may give such damages as they may deem fair and just, not exceeding five thousand ($5,000) dollars, with reference to the necessary injury resulting from such death, to the surviving parties, who may be entitled to sue; and also having regard to the mitigating or aggravating circumstances attending any such wrongful act, neglect or default.\u201d The parties who may bring an action for wrongful death, as provided in section 1 of this chapter, C. L. sec. 6302, referred to above, are:\n\u201cFirst \u2014 By the husband or wife of deceased, or\n\u201cSecond' \u2014 If there be no husband or wife, or he or she fails to sue within one year after such death, then by the heir or heirs of the deceased, or\n\u201cThird \u2014 If such deceased be a minor or unmarried, then by the father or mother who may join in the suit, and each shall have an equal interest in the judgment; or if either of them be dead, then by the survivor. . . . If the action under this section shall be brought by the husband or wife of deceased, the judgment obtained in said action shall be owned by such persons as are heirs at law of said deceased under the statutes of descents and distributions, and shall be divided among such heirs at law in the same manner as real estate is divided according to said statute of descents and distributions.\u201d\nThe right to bring an action to recover for loss of services of a minor or for injuries to such minor, exists in Colorado in favor of the parents. However, separate suits may be brought for damages growing out of wrongful death and damages sustained for loss of services between the date of the injury and the date of the death of the injured party. American Ins. Co. v. Naylor, 103 Colo. 461, 70 P. 2d 353.\nIf the plaintiff has stated a cause of action, it is for damages growing-out of the wrongful death of his minor child and not for loss of services sustained after injury and before death. Ve construe the pleadings to allege that Sonia Elspeth Caldwell died instantaneously.\nIt will be observed that the wrongful death statute of Colorado vests the right to bring an action for wrongful death in the parents or the surviving parent, and not in the personal representative. The words \u201cfather or mother\u201d appearing in the statute, have been interpreted to mean \u201cfather and mother.\u201d Pierce v. Conners, 20 Colo. 178, 37 P. 721.\nIn the State of Colorado, children are liable for the support of their indigent parents. 1935 Colorado Statutes Annotated, Chapter 124, sections 2 and 3. Therefore, in an action for damages growing out of wrongful death, the damages recoverable \u201care not limited to such sum alone as the parent would probably have received from a child during the residue of the child\u2019s minority, but the parent is entitled to recover such sum as will fairly and reasonably compensate the parent for any financial loss sustained by reason of the child\u2019s death. . . .\u201d Longmont v. Swearingen, 81 Colo. 246, 254 P. 1000. See also Butler v. Townsend, 50 Idaho 542, 298 P. 375.\nThe amount of the recovery in no case, under this section of the Colorado law, shall exceed $5,000. Dillon v. Sterling Rendering Works, 106 Colo. 407, 106 P. 2d 358; Moffatt v. Tenney, 17 Colo. 189, 30 P. 348.\nThe law under consideration allows compensatory damages only. The measure of damages recoverable under this section is a sum equal to the net pecuniary benefit which plaintiff might reasonably have expected to receive from the deceased had her life not been terminated by the alleged wrongful act of the defendant\u2019s intestate. Moffatt v. Tenney, supra; Pierce v. Conners, supra; Gibson Consol. Min. & M. Co. v. Sharp, 5 Colo. App. 324, 39 P. 850; Mitchell v. Colo. Milling etc. Co., 12 Colo. App. 277, 55 P. 736.\nThere can be no recovery for mental anguish under the statute. \u201cThe recovery allowable is in no sense a solatium for the grief of the living occasioned by the death of the relative or friend, however dear.\u201d Pierce v. Conners, supra. Not only the kinship or legal relation between the deceased and the plaintiff may be considered in arriving at the true measure of compensatory relief, \u201cbut the actual relations between them, as manifested by acts of pecuniary assistance rendered by the deceased to the plaintiff, and also contrary acts, may be taken into consideration.\u201d Pierce v. Conners, supra.\nWhen the plaintiff\u2019s complaint is considered in light of the provisions of the wrongful death statute of Colorado, and the decisions with respect thereto, we think the plaintiff has stated a cause of action.\nThe judgment of the court below is\nReversed.", "type": "majority", "author": "Denny, J." } ], "attorneys": [ "Fred D. Caldwell and Childs & Childs for plaintiff.", "Smothers, Smothers & Carpenter and H. A. and Harvey A. Jonas, Jr., for defendant." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "JAMES M. CALDWELL v. R. L. ABERNETHY, Administrator of the Estate of S. S. CARPENTER, Deceased.\n(Filed 12 April, 1950.)\n1. Courts \u00a7 15\u2014\nAn action to recover for loss of services of a minor child, killed in an accident occurring in another state, must be determined by the laws of such other state.\n2. Evidence \u00a7 3\u2014\nOur courts will take judicial notice of the public laws of a sister state. G.S. 8-4.\n3. Death \u00a75\u2014\nUnder the laws of the State of Colorado, the surviving parent may maintain an action for loss of services of his minor child killed as a result of alleged negligence, and recover as compensatory damages, not exceeding $5,000, the amount which will fairly and reasonably compensate the parent for financial loss sustained by reason of the child\u2019s death, excluding recovery for mental anguish.\nAppeal by plaintiff from Rudisill, J., at Chambers in Newton, N. 0., 6 October, 1949. From Catawba.\nThis is an action to recover for mental suffering and for loss of services, comfort, and society of plaintiff\u2019s unemancipated minor child as a result of her alleged wrongful death, which occurred in the State of Colorado.\nIt is alleged in the complaint that during the month of August, 1948, the defendant\u2019s intestate, S. S. Carpenter, of Lincoln County, N. O., in company with several members of his family, including his granddaughter, Sonia Elspeth Caldwell, nine years of age, the minor child of this plaintiff, made a trip by automobile to Morgan County, State of Colorado; that on the return trip to Lincolnton, N. 0., the aforesaid S. S. Carpenter, while driving his automobile in a reckless and negligent manner in the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, on 20 August, 1948, ran said automobile into another vehicle on the highway, killing Sonia Elspeth Caldwell, the aforesaid minor, and her mother, Sonia Elspeth Caldwell, former wife of plaintiff, and himself.\nThe defendant demurred ore tenus on the ground that the complaint did not state a cause of action, demurrer was sustained and judgment entered accordingly.\nThe plaintiff appeals from the judgment entered below, and . assigns error.\nFred D. Caldwell and Childs & Childs for plaintiff.\nSmothers, Smothers & Carpenter and H. A. and Harvey A. Jonas, Jr., for defendant." }, "file_name": "0692-01", "first_page_order": 742, "last_page_order": 746 }