Takahashi

In consolidated actions for damages for personal injuries suffered in a single accident, the court after verdicts in favor of plaintiffs, notwithstanding such verdicts, entered judgments in favor of the defendant. Plaintiffs appeal separately upon a single record.

Some two hours before.sunrise on a rainy morning plaintiffs, traveling in an automobile driven by plaintiff Takahashi at a speed of thirty-five or forty miles per hour, ran into the rear of a slowly moving trailer loaded with oil well casing. The question on each appeal is whether there was substantial evidence that the accident was the result of defendant’s negligence.

Each plaintiff testified that there were no lights at the rear of the trailer. A witness, Mrs. Mick, who was on the scene of the accident shortly after it happened, testified that she did not see any light on the rear of the trailer or at the rear of the casing, which she testified extended five or five and one-half feet beyond the rear of the trailer. On behalf of defendant, witnesses testified that there were two tail lights on the rear of the trailer and two load lights fastened to the rear of lengths of casing which had been installed the afternoon…