Weitkam v. Johnston’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

15 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 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"There is no doubt that a parent merely by reason of the relationship is not responsible for negligent acts of his or her major children; but here we find from the evidence that the automobile in question belonged to Mrs. Hardie; that she was riding therein; and that, according to her statement, it is probable that she had asked her son to drive her to the railroad station to meet her parents. It is quite true that on various prior occasions the son, on his own initiative, had driven to the station to meet defendant's parents, his grandparents, and it is equally true that, had an accident occurred on those occasions, in all probability there would have been no liability in Mrs. Hardie; but here it appears that the son, though a major, * * * was driving her in her car, and we feel that thus on this particular occasion he was acting as the agent of his mother, and that she should be responsible for the results of his negligent deeds while so acting."”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. McDowell v. National Sur. Corp.

2. “Counsel for plaintiff, in contending that Miss Weitkam was not at fault, rest their argument on the well established rule that a following driver should operate his car at such speed as will permit of its being stopped however suddenly or unexpectedly the car ahead may be brought to a stop. This rule is expressly set forth in the cited traffic ordinance, paragraph `a' of Section 14 of Article V of which provides that”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Crow v. Alesi

3. “returning from a visit, the purpose of which the record does not disclose”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. McDowell v. National Sur. Corp.