Tort Law

This page is composed of cases from the Virginia Supreme Court summarized by Brien Roche dealing with the topic of horns and the related topic of vehicle accidents. For more information on vehicle horns see the pages on Wikipedia.

Horns-Statutes

See Va. Code § 46.2-1059 as to vehicles being equipped with horn.

Horns-Cases

1976 Baines v. Parker, 217 Va. 100, 225 S.E.2d 403. Failure to sound horn while passing. Question for jury whether failure constituted violation of statute and whether such violation was proximate cause of accident.   1965 Saulsbury v. Williams, 205 Va. 727, 139 S.E.2d 816. Defendant parked truck on side of road. Plaintiff struck when he crossed street in front of truck. Jury issue as to whether co-defendant should have sounded horn.   1957 Simmons v. Craig, 199 Va. 338, 99 S.E.2d 641. Plaintiff’s failure to sound horn prior to passing created jury issue as to contributory negligence.   1955 Independent Cab Ass’n v. LaTouche, 197 Va. 367, 89 S.E.2d 320. Defendant had duty to sound horn when passing another vehicle heading in same direction while “traveling outside a business or residence district.”   1955 Matthews v. Hicks, 197 Va. 112, 87 S.E.2d 629. Failure to use horns before passing may be negligence.   1952 Elswick v. Collins, 194 Va. 292, 72 S.E.2d 626. No requirement for following vehicle, before passing on right, to blow horn when left-turning vehicle has completed turn.   1948 Edgerton v. Norfolk S. Bus Lines, 187 Va. 642, 47 S.E.2d 409. Issue raised whether bus driver sounded horn before crossing sidewalk coming from tunnel.