Brown v. Ellis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 district · 64 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 66 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““(a) Designation of through highways and erection of signs. — The State Roads Commission with reference to State and county highways, and local authorities with reference to other highways under their jurisdiction may designate through highways and erect stop signs at specified entrances thereto or may designate any intersection as a stop intersection and erect like signs at one or more entrances to such intersection. “(c) Duty of driver. — Every driver of a vehicle shall come to a full stop at such sign or at a clearly marked stop line before entering an intersection and yield the right-of-way to vehicles approaching on the intersecting highway except when directed to proceed by a peace officer or traffic-control signal.””

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Trionfo v. R. J. Hellman, Inc. · Cornias v. Bradley

2. ““However, if you find that the defendant stopped her vehicle in the crossover, but in such a position that the rear of her automobile extended into the travelled portion of Route 40, and that the prior movement of her automobile was not a producing cause of the accident, then there was a duty imposed on the plaintiff to keep a reasonable lookout and to exercise reasonable and ordinary care and caution for his own safety. And if you further find that the plaintiff saw, or by the exercise of ordinary care, should have seen the rear of the defendant’s vehicle projecting into his lane of traffic, and that the plaintiff failed to move from his path, when in the exercise of reasonable care he had the opportunity to do so, if the jury so finds, and he failed to do so, thereby striking the defendant’s automobile, then you should find the plaintiff guilty of negligence directly contributing to the happening of the accident, and your verdict should be for the defendant.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Trionfo v. R. J. Hellman, Inc.

3. ““It is established law that in a proper case, the trial court may, and should, direct a verdict for the plaintiff on the issue of the negligence of a defendant. Dunnill v. Bloomberg, 228 Md. 230 ; Shriner v. Mullhausen, 210 Md. 104 . And in considering the propriety of taking the question of primary negligence from the jury and holding a defendant guilty of negligence as a matter of law, the evidence must be considered in a light most favorable to the defendant. This means, of course, that the Court must assume the truth of all credible evidence tending to sustain the defense presented, and draw all fairly deducible inferences from that evidence favorable to the defense. Cf. Havre de Grace Fireworks v. Howe, 206 Md. 158 ; Ragonese v. Hilferty, 231 Md. 520 .” Id. at 491.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Pettaway v. Washington