White v. Mote’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

47 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 51 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““All the evidence in this case tends to show that it was after dark or at night within the meaning of the statute. Now, I further instruct you, members of the jury, that this requirement of the statute is applicable to towed vehicles. Such tail lights on the rear of a wrecker or a towing vehicle does not constitute a sufficient compliance with the statute. To comply with the statute, a motorist must have such visible tail lights on the towed vehicle. I instruct you, members of the jury, that the operation of a motor vehicle at night without such visible tail lights on the towed vehicle in violation of the statute is negligence per se, or negligence in itself, or negligence as a matter of law. * * * Finally as to this first issue, members of the jury, I instruct you that if the plaintiffs have satisfied you from the evidence and beyond a reasonable doubt that on the night of March the 13th, 1965, at about 8:00 o’clock P.M. on Highway 904 about two or three miles west of Tabor City, North Carolina, that the defendant, Mr. Gaskin, did operate his wrecker on said highway and did with said wrecker tow another motor vehicle and that the towed vehicle did not have on its lamps exhibiting a red light plainly visible under normal atmospheric conditions for a distance of 500 feet to the rear of such towed vehicle, then I instruct you that the defendant would be negligent; and if you further find from the evidence and by the greater weight of the evidence that such negligence was one of”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 1 N.C. App. 563 - Buffkin v. Gaskin

2. “[t]he more serious question raised by the rear-end collision is whether plaintiff was keeping a proper lookout. We recognize the rule that “One who operates a motor vehicle must be reasonably vigilant and anticipate the use of the highways by others. A failure to maintain a reasonable lookout is negligence.” But he will not be held to the duty of being able to bring his automobile to an immediate stop on the sudden arising of a dangerous situation which he could not have reasonably anticipated.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Edwards v. Cerro

3. “the plaintiff[] continued to drive some distance after being “blinded” by the lights of another vehicle . . . without attempting to stop [his] vehicle[]. . . . The distinction in the case[] relied on by defendant[] and this case is that in the instant case plaintiff immediately acted upon seeing the danger, while in the case[] cited by defendant[] the plaintiff[] continued in the same course of action for some time and distance after being faced with apparent danger.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 139 N.C. App. 756 - Burchette v. Lynch