Amanta v. Michigan Central Railroad

143 N.W. 76, 177 Mich. 280, 1913 Mich. LEXIS 713
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 1, 1913
DocketDocket No. 49
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 143 N.W. 76 (Amanta v. Michigan Central Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amanta v. Michigan Central Railroad, 143 N.W. 76, 177 Mich. 280, 1913 Mich. LEXIS 713 (Mich. 1913).

Opinion

Kuhn, J.

This action was brought to recover for personal injuries caused, as it is claimed, by the negligence of the defendant company. The plaintiff, who resided in the city of Grand Rapids, on the 7th day of October, 1910, was requested by a friend, named [282]*282Frank Provenzo, to go with him to visit his sick daughter in St. Mary’s Hospital in that city. They left the home of plaintiff on Fourth avenue about 6 o’clock in the evening. Plaintiff claims that they walked from Fourth avenue .north on Hilton street to Third avenue, where they turned east, walking on the south sidewalk until they reached the system of railroad tracks which cross Third avenue, running north and south. The first track is a long Grand Rapids & Indiana side track; next east, and 11% feet from this side track, is the Grand Rapids & Indiana main track. Eight and one-half feet east of this is the Michigan Central main track. Next east, and from 8 to 9 feet from the main track, is the Michigan Central side track. Still further east are the tracks of the Pere Marquette Railroad Company. It is the claim of plaintiff that when they reached the tracks it was dark and they were stopped by a freight train on the Grand Rapids & Indiana tracks coming from the south, and while waiting for this train to pass they crossed the street to the north side of Third avenue and stood on the walk until the train had passed. When they were -ready to proceed, they saw a passenger train coming from the south on the Grand Rapids & Indiana main track and waited where they were until that train had passed. They then proceeded eastward until the plaintiff had reached a point about halfway between the Grand Rapids & Indiana main track and the Michigan Central main track, when he looked to the north and saw no train or locomotive coming from that direction and heard no bell or whistle; that he then looked to the south and then again to the north but heard and saw nothing to indicate the approach of a locomotive or train from either direction; that, believing themselves safe, they started to cross the main track of the Michigan Central Railroad; Provenzo being about two feet ahead of the plaintiff. As plaintiff stepped [283]*283onto the track, he was struck by a Michigan Central engine, which had just left its train at the Union Station, about half a mile north of Third avenue, and which was backing on the main track to the roundhouse, which is about a half. mile south of Third avenue. Provenzo crossed in time and avoided being hurt, but plaintiff was struck by the engine and his right arm was severed at- the shoulder and his left leg above the knee.

The negligence relied upon by the plaintiff is that this engine was being backed over the crossing without any lights and without ringing any bell or giving other warning of its approach. The trial court submitted the case to the jury, and a verdict of $8,750 was rendered in favor of the plaintiff. Judgment being had thereon, the case is brought here by writ of error.

It is the claim of the defendant that the engine was properly lighted with a red light on the right side and a white light on the left side, although it is also claimed that it was light enough to see an approaching train without them, as the sun had set within an hour and a three-quarter moon was visible, and there was an electric light about 15 feet above the ground. It is further claimed that the engine was backing slowly, about 6 miles per hour, and that if plaintiff had done as he claims he did, under the conditions existing, he must have seen the engine. Defendant’s counsel requested the court to direct a verdict in favor of defendant on the ground of contributory negligence, which was denied, and in defendant’s requests to charge a similar instruction was requested. On a motion for a new trial this question was again raised, and also that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence and was unsupported by the evidence.

This brings us to the first question discussed in defendant’s brief whether, under the undisputed facts [284]*284in this case, the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. It is urged that the verdict is predicated upon the finding of a physical impossibility and that therefore the testimony of the plaintiff and his companion that they looked and listened should be disregarded, as the physical facts show that they could not have done so; and the cases of McCarthy v. Railway Co., 120 Mich. 400 (79 N. W. 631), Strong v. Railway Co., 156 Mich. 66 (120 N. W. 683), and Hamilton v. Railway, 167 Mich. 5 (132 N. W. 453), are cited. It is conceded by plaintiff that, when a train is in plain view and it is impossible to stop and listen without seeing or hearing the train, testimony of the plaintiff that he did not hear or see the approaching train should be disregarded; but it is urged in the instant case, and it is supported by the testimony of witnesses, that at the time the accident happened the hour was dusk; that because of the passing of a long freight train and of the rushing of a passenger train the air was filled with dirt, smoke, and steam, and that because of the darkness, the dirt, smoke, and steam the plaintiff was unable to see the approaching locomotive running backward out of the darkness upon him without any lights on the rear end; that the noise of the other trains which had just passed made it impossible to hear the locomotive; and that under these facts the question of plaintiff’s contributory negligence was properly submitted to the jury. Whether or not plaintiff observed that care which an ordinarily careful and prudent man would have exercised under all the circumstances was, it seems to us, a question for the jury.

The plaintiff and Provenzo testified that there were no lights on the engine and this is disputed by the trainmen. The engineer testified that he knew “the lights were properly lit as the hour was dark.” Other witnesses testified that objects could be dis[285]*285tinguished at varying distances of a hundred feet or more.

The question of plaintiff’s contributory negligence should be submitted to the jury when the testimony is conflicting or where candid and intelligent men might reach different conclusions upon the question. Becker v. Railway Co., 121 Mich. 580 (80 N. W. 581); Haines v. Railway Co., 129 Mich. 475 (89 N. W. 349); Welch v. Railroad Co., 147 Mich. 207 (110 N. W. 1069). We cannot say that the case is so free from doubt as to warrant the conclusion that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law.

The next point urged by the defendant is that the court in his charge assumed that it was dark at the time of the accident and erred in not submitting the degree of darkness to the jury. At the close of the proofs a colloquy took place between the court and counsel as follows:

“The Court: The defense admits if the lanterns were out or there were no lanterns on the rear end of this locomotive as it passed over this street in question, the defense would admit that it was negligence.
“Mr. Charles Wilson: No, your honor, we do. not admit that, because we do not admit it was dark enough to require them.
“The Court: I say if it were dark at that time, if it were dark enough to have lights, then there would be no question but what you would admit the negligence if there were no lights.
“Mr. Hugh Wilson:

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Bluebook (online)
143 N.W. 76, 177 Mich. 280, 1913 Mich. LEXIS 713, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/amanta-v-michigan-central-railroad-mich-1913.