{ "id": 8572403, "name": "LILLIE H. PETREA, Plaintiff v. RYDER TANK LINES, INC., Original Defendant, and OSCAR A. PETREA, Additional Defendant", "name_abbreviation": "Petrea v. Ryder Tank Lines, Inc.", "decision_date": "1965-04-07", "docket_number": "", "first_page": "230", "last_page": "232", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "264 N.C. 230" } ], "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": "95 A.L.R. 2d 12", "category": "reporters:specialty", "reporter": "A.L.R. 2d", "pin_cites": [ { "page": "49" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "129 S.E. 2d 288", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "pin_cites": [ { "page": "288" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "258 N.C. 609", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8561906 ], "pin_cites": [ { "page": "610" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/258/0609-01" ] }, { "cite": "179 S.E. 604", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "116 W. Va. 187", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "W. Va.", "case_ids": [ 8636967 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/w-va/116/0187-01" ] }, { "cite": "114 S.E. 2d 406", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "145 W. Va. 245", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "W. Va.", "case_ids": [ 8580849 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/w-va/145/0245-01" ] }, { "cite": "156 A.L.R. 922", "category": "reporters:specialty", "reporter": "A.L.R.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "32 S.E. 2d 335", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "224 N.C. 705", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8613109 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/224/0705-01" ] }, { "cite": "117 S.E. 2d 496", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "253 N.C. 482", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8626017 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/253/0482-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 298, "char_count": 4082, "ocr_confidence": 0.561, "pagerank": { "raw": 2.0952794081659243e-07, "percentile": 0.7609258300387397 }, "sha256": "3bff29b4af86a37f44a53c3adffdeb68107a8f49b5273069e4ca0d0263f9b3c0", "simhash": "1:d8031df698afee5f", "word_count": 687 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T15:18:06.877661+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [], "parties": [ "LILLIE H. PETREA, Plaintiff v. RYDER TANK LINES, INC., Original Defendant, and OSCAR A. PETREA, Additional Defendant." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "Per Curiam.\nA defendant who has been sued for tort may bring into the action for the purpose of enforcing contribution under G.S. 1-240 only a joint tort-feasor whom plaintiff could have sued originally in the same action. Jones v. Aircraft Co., 253 N.C. 482, 117 S.E. 2d 496; Wilson v. Massagee, 224 N.C. 705, 32 S.E. 2d 335, 156 A.L.R. 922. The law of West Virginia does not permit one spouse to sue the other in tort. Campbell v. Campbell, 145 W. Va. 245, 114 S.E. 2d 406; Poling v. Poling, 116 W. Va. 187, 179 S.E. 604. North Carolina applies the lex loci delicti.\n\u201cWe have in previous decisions held claimant\u2019s right to recover and the amount which may be recovered for personal injuries must be determined by the law of the state where the injuries were sustained; if no right of action exists there, the injured party has none which can be enforced elsewhere.\u201d Shaw v. Lee, 258 N.C. 609, 610, 129 S.E. 2d 288, 288.\nOriginal defendant concedes in its brief that if the rule which was followed in Shaw v. Lee, supra, is applied to this case, the decision of the court below should be affirmed. It argues, however, that we should overrule Shaw v. Lee, supra, and thus abandon our well-established conflicts rule, in order to apply the law of the state which has had \u201cthe most significant relationship or contacts with the matter in dispute\u201d \u2014 in this case, appellant contends, North Carolina. Such an approach is referred to as the \u201ccenter of gravity\u201d or \u201cgrouping of contacts\u201d theory. See Annot., Choice of law in application of automobile guest statutes, 95 A.L.R. 2d 12, 49. Notwithstanding that appellant\u2019s counsel in his brief and in his argument presented his case to this court in the best possible light, the same reasons which dictated our decision in Shaw v. Lee, supra, constrain us to adhere to it.\nThe judgment of the court below is\nAffirmed.", "type": "majority", "author": "Per Curiam." } ], "attorneys": [ "Walser, Brinkley, Walser & McGirt for original defendant appellant, fendant appellant.", "Hudson, Ferrell, Petrea, Stockton, Stockton \u25a0& Robinson and J. Lee Wilson for additional defendant appellee." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "LILLIE H. PETREA, Plaintiff v. RYDER TANK LINES, INC., Original Defendant, and OSCAR A. PETREA, Additional Defendant.\n(Filed 7 April, 1965.)\n1. Torts \u00a7 4\u2014\nAn original defendant may bring into tbe action for the purpose of enforcing contribution only a joint tort-feasor whom plaintiff could have sued originally in the same action. G-.S. 1-240.\n2. Same; Courts \u00a7 20; Husband and Wife \u00a7 9\u2014\nWhere the laws of the state in which the accident occurred do not permit the wife to sue the husband in tort, a defendant sued by the wife for negligent injury in an action instituted in this State may not have the husband joined for contribution under G.S. 1-240.\nAppeal by original defendant from Olive, E. J., December 1964 Civil Session of DavidsoN.\nPlaintiff, a resident of North Carolina, instituted this action against Ryder Tank Lines, Inc. (Ryder), a North Carolina corporation, to recover for personal injuries. In brief summary she alleges: On October 4, 1963, plaintiff was a passenger in the automobile of her husband, Oscar A. Petrea, who was operating it on U. S. Highway No. 460 in West Virginia. As a result of the negligence of the operator of a Ryder tractor-trailer, it collided with the Petrea automobile. In the collision plaintiff sustained serious injuries for which she is entitled to recover damages.\nAnswering, Ryder denied any negligence on the part of its driver. It alleged that the negligence of plaintiff\u2019s husband, Oscar A. Petrea, was the sole proximate cause of plaintiff's injuries. In addition, Ryder set up a cross action against O. A. Petrea for contribution pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 1-210.\nAdditional defendant Petrea demurred to the cross action for that (1) plaintiff is the wife of additional defendant; (2) under the laws of the state of West Virginia, a wife may not sue her husband; and (3) original defendant, therefore, cannot maintain a cross action against plaintiff\u2019s husband for contribution.\nJudge Olive sustained the demurrer and dismissed the cross action. Ryder appeals.\nWalser, Brinkley, Walser & McGirt for original defendant appellant, fendant appellant.\nHudson, Ferrell, Petrea, Stockton, Stockton \u25a0& Robinson and J. Lee Wilson for additional defendant appellee." }, "file_name": "0230-01", "first_page_order": 266, "last_page_order": 268 }