Bauman v. Complita

This is a controlled intersection collision case in which the favored driver (and his wife) 1 secured a judgment, based on the verdict of a jury, against the disfavored driver (and his employer). The defendants appeal.

Only two questions are presented on the appeal. The primary question is: Should a new trial be granted because the trial court refused to submit the issue of the plaintiff’s contributory negligence to the jury?

The secondary question is: If a new trial is granted, should it be limited solely to the issue of liability (or, even more narrowly, solely to the issue of contributory…