American Car & Foundry Co. v. Clark

70 N.E. 828, 32 Ind. App. 644, 1904 Ind. App. LEXIS 129
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 5, 1904
DocketNo. 4,664
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 70 N.E. 828 (American Car & Foundry Co. v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Car & Foundry Co. v. Clark, 70 N.E. 828, 32 Ind. App. 644, 1904 Ind. App. LEXIS 129 (Ind. Ct. App. 1904).

Opinions

Roby, J.

Action by appellee, verdict and judgment for $1,500. Complaint in tbroo paragraphs. Verdict based on first and third. Separate demurrers thereto were overruled.

The facts set up'in the first paragraph arc, substantially, that appellant is a manufacturer of cars at Clarksville, Clark, county, Indiana, and, in one of the departments of its plant, maintained and operated a machine called a “woodworker,” used to cut wood into desired shapes, and for that purpose supplied with knives attached to a shaft, which, when the machine was operated, revolved, bringing said knives in contact with wood placed on a table and run over said knives, which said machine should have been supplied with springs to hold said wood in proper position as it was run over'said knives, hut appellant, well knowing that said machine was not supplied with such springs, negligently failed to provide them; that on January 28, 1902, appellee was employed by appellant to operate a planing-machino, at said plant, and, under his contract, he was not required to perforin any other or different service; that ho operated said planing-machine under said employment, and while so employed, on the 1st day of February, 1902, was directed and required by appellant temporarily to leave said employment and operate said wood-worker, and in obedience to such direction lie did temporarily leave said employment and engage in the operation of the wood-worker. While so engaged lie placed a piece of wood on the table, and proceeded to run it over said knives for the purpose of cutting it into desired shape, and while so engaged he was, by the absence of such springs, required to hold such wood in position with his hands as it passed over said knives, [647]*647and, while, so holding it, the same was by the operation of the machine suddenly turned, thereby causing one of his hands to come in contact with said knives, cutting off part of two fingers; that said injury was caused by appellant’s aet in directing him to leave his regular employment and engage in the operation of the wood-worker, and its negligent failure to supply said machine with springs, as aforesaid ; that had it been so supplied he would not have been required to hold said wood in position with his hands as it passed over said knives, and would .not have been injured; that the work he was doing was different from, and more hazardous, than that he was employed to do, and was done at another place than that of his regular employment. All of which appellant knew. Wherefore, etc.

The third paragraph.differs from the first in the charge of negligence. It is averred that there was danger in operating the machine, as appellant knew, and that a guard could have been placed thereon without interference with the proper operation of the machine, which would have prevented any injury from said danger, but appellant, well knowing that it had not been done, then and there, and in violation of the statute, negligently failed to proyide said machine with such guard, it being then and there without such guard, by reason of which appellee was injured, etc.

The complaint is skilfully drawn, and the briefs filed in this court by both parties are model ones. The first paragraph is not defective in failing to aver that it was practicable to provide the springs which it is averred should have been provided and were negligently not provided. The absence of springs is not averred to have been unknown to appellee, nor to have constituted a latent or unobservable defect. The risk would therefore be an assumed risk, except for the further allegation as to the temporary change of employment. The doctrine of the assumption of risk does not apply where the employe is ordered to do xvork out of the line and away from the place [648]*648of the work he is hired to do, and is so engaged when injured. Clark County Cement Co. v. Wright, 16 Ind. App. 630. The first paragraph therefore stated a cause of action.

The act of 1899 (Acts 1899, p. 231, §7087i Burns 1901) makes it the duty of an owner of a manufacturing establishment to protect the machines operated therein: “All vats, pans, saws, planers, cogs, gearing, belting, shafting, set-screws and machinery of every description therein shall be properly guarded.” Buehner Chair Co. v. Feulner, 28 Ind. App. 479. The averments are that appellant negligently failed to perform the duty thus enjoined upon it, and are sufficient.

The doctrine of assumed risk does not apply where the negligence counted upon is the violation of this positive and explicit statute. Monteith v. Kokomo, etc., Co., 159 Ind. 149; Buehner Chair Co. v. Feulner, supra; Wortman v. Minich, 28 Ind. App. 31; Davis Coal Co. v. Polland, 158 Ind. 607, 92 Am. St. 319. In so far as Bodell v. Brazil Block Coal Co., 25 Ind. App. 654, holds otherwise, it has ceased to be authority.

The facts averred do not include a description of the conduct of appellee at the time he was injured, and, in their absence, contributory negligence cannot be determined. It will not do to say that the mere fact that an employe works at a defective machine concludes the question of contributory negligence against him. The doctrine of assumed -risk covers that phase. A man may be careful while working with a dangerous machine. “Assumption of risk is a matter of contract. Contributory negligence is a question of conduct.” Davis Coal Co. v. Polland, supra. The complaint was not subject to the objection that contributory negligence affirmatively appeared therefrom, and the demurrers were properly overruled.

Appellant filed an answer in two paragraphs to the first paragraph of complaint; (1) A general denial; (2) that [649]*649the danger by reason of which appellee was injured was open and obvious, and therefore an assumed risk. A demurrer to the second paragraph of answer was sustained, and Umback v. Lake Shore, etc. R. Co., 83 Ind. 191, is relied upon in support of the error assigned therein. In that case a demurrer was overruled to an answer similar to the one under consideration. The plaintiff could not have been injured thereby. It is not necessary, under our decisions, that the defendant set up by answer that the risk on account of which the injury complained of occurred was án assumed one, in order that he receive the benefit of that fact, and it was not error to sustain a demurrer to the second paragraph of answer.

Appellant’s motion for judgment on the answers to interrogatories was overruled. It asserts that such action was erroneous, for the reason that it is disclosed by such answers that appellee’s employment was not limited as averred in the first paragraph of his complaint. Without setting out the interrogatories and answers relied upon, it is sufficient to say that, according to an answer to one interrogatory, .he was, at the time he was injured, engaged in other work than that he was employed to perform. Conflicting answers to interrogatories are fatal to a motion for judgment notwithstanding the general verdict.

What has heretofore been said upon the subject of contributory negligence applies fo the motion for judgment, as well as to the ruling on the demurrer to the complaint. The facts considered in Buehner Chair Co. v. Feulner, supra, were not limited to the.

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Bluebook (online)
70 N.E. 828, 32 Ind. App. 644, 1904 Ind. App. LEXIS 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-car-foundry-co-v-clark-indctapp-1904.