Ward v. Read’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

19 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 19 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““While it may be that the word ‘directly,’ in that connection, if taken in some of its meanings, may not accurately describe the idea that the negligence charged and proven must be the proximate cause of the accident, and that it might be advisable, for that reason, not to use it, yet it has a meaning in strict harmony with the word ‘proximately.’ The word ‘proximately’ is defined as ‘that which in ordinary natural sequence produces a specific result, no independent disturbing agency intervening.’ The word ‘directly’ is defined as follows: ‘In a direct way, without anything intervening, not by secondary but by direct means.’ (Webster’s Dictionary.) The respective definitions are almost identical and it is not reasonable to suppose that the jury would perceive the difference, when used in the connection in which they appear in the instruction.” (See, also, Ward v. Read, 219 Cal. 65 [ 25 P.2d 821 ], and Peters v. United Studios, Inc., 98 Cal.App. 373 [ 277 P. 156 ].)”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 66 Cal. App. 2d 34 - Weaver v. Landis