Arkansas Western Ry. Co. v. Currier

270 S.W.2d 932, 223 Ark. 946, 1954 Ark. LEXIS 785
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 5, 1954
Docket5-428
StatusPublished

This text of 270 S.W.2d 932 (Arkansas Western Ry. Co. v. Currier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arkansas Western Ry. Co. v. Currier, 270 S.W.2d 932, 223 Ark. 946, 1954 Ark. LEXIS 785 (Ark. 1954).

Opinion

Ward, J.

This appeal results from a jury verdict against appellant in a suit brought by appellee for damages for personal injury. Appellant seeks a reversal on two grounds: First, the trial court’s refusal to grant appellant’s motion for a directed verdict at the close of all of the evidence, urging (a) appellant’s employees were acting outside the scope of their employment and (b) the insufficiency of the evidence, “and; Second, the trial court’s action in giving instruction No. 1.

The Facts and Circumstances out of which this litigation arose are as follows: Appellee, Harrison Currier, was injured early in the morning on June 2, 1953, while helping move one of appellant’s railway cars by means of a tractor which he was driving and which had been attached.to the end of the car by means of a rope. When the ca,r was started it overtook the tractor and in some way a part of the tractor became engaged with the rail, causing the tractor to tilt and appellee to fall, resulting in the injury complained of. Also, in some manner, the foreman and members of appellant’s section crew were either directing the movement or were attempting to help in the movement of the railway car.

At the time of the injury appellee was in the regular employment of one Dean Swift who was a contractor engaged in repairing streets in the town of Waldron, Arkansas. This repair work necessitated the use of gravel, and Swift had an agreement with appellant railway company to furnish the gravel in railway dump cars placed on a siding near Waldron. It appears that the dump cars were to be spotted on the side track in groups of from three to four at a time, and on this particular occasion there were three cars so spotted. By arrangement with appellant, Swift dug a tunnel under the side track where each car could be placed as necessity required and the gravel could be unloaded through trap doors in the bottom of the car, thus facilitating the loading of the gravel onto Swift’s trucks. Appellant did not keep a switch engine at Waldron and so it was contemplated that each car of gravel would be “pinched” or rolled in place over the tunnel. Appellant contends, but appellee denies, that such placing or the dump cars over the tunnel was the sole responsibility of Swift.

Appellee’s allegation of negligence was appellant’s “failure ... to apply the brakes” on the railway car and to give proper warning to appellee, causing the car to run away and overturn the tractor, and resulting-in the alleged injury. The extent of injury and the amount of recovery are not challenged. Much of the testimony on behalf of appellee herein set out is disputed or contradicted by appellant’s testimony, but, under the well established rule we must accept the jury’s finding on questions of fact as they are supported by substantial evidence.

The first contention by appellant is that the trial court should have instructed a verdict in its favor for the two reasons which we presently discuss.

(a) As before stated, appellant contends that it was Swift’s sole responsibility to spot the cars, that it was no part of the duty or employment of the section crew to assist in any way, and that therefore any participation on the part of said crew was wholly without the scope of their employment. We do not agree with this contention because this was a question for the jury to decide under proper instructions, and although numerous instructions were given on this point by the court it is not urged by appellant that these instructions were erroneous. In the case of W. P. Brown & Sons Lumber Company v. Oaties, 189 Ark. 338, 72 S. W. 2d 213, in discussing this question, we said:

“Whether appellee was a mere volunteer and acting without the scope of his employment was a question of fact, and was submitted to the jury under instructions requested by appellant. We cannot say as a matter of law that he was a mere volunteer. ’ ’

The above rule was restated in the case of Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, Thompson Trustee v. Lester, 219 Ark. 413, 242 S. W. 2d 714, 27 A. L. R. 2d 1182, where after posing the question, it was said: “At any rate, it was a question for the jury under instructions which, in this case, were proper.”

Testimony on the part of appellee, which the jury had a right to believe, was to the effect that Mr. Tom Gray, the station agent at Waldron, advised appellee late in the evening on the day before the accident that if he would wait until the next morning the railway company would spot the car. There was also testimony to the effect that while ordinarily it was not the business of the section crew to spot cars yet it was their duty, as agent of appellant, to see that the main track was kept clear for regular trains. The testimony shows that on the day of the injury the main track was blocked by the gravel cars and that it would be necessary to clear the track for the- next train which was expected in a day or two. Appellee testified that the station agent instructed him to attach his tractor to the car and that Earl Sherrill, foreman of the section crew, gave directions as to how the car should be moved and as to when appellee should start to pull with his tractor. It is admitted that Sherrill and members of his crew did assist in helping spot the car.

In view of the fact that the section crew were in the general employment of appellant and in view of the circumstances and facts related above the jury was justified in holding appellant liable. In the case of Vincennes Steel Corporations. Gibson, 194 Ark. 58, 106 S. W. 2d 173, this court, at page 60 of the Arkansas Reports having under consideration the question here discussed, quoted with approval the following:

‘ ‘ The difficulty lies in the application thereof, as there is no definite rule by which it can be said that the acts of a servant are within or without the scope of his employment, each case of necessity depending upon its own peculiar facts and circumstances.”

Later in the same case and in the same connection the court said: “Whether the act was or was not such as to be within the employment’s scope is ordinarily one of fact for the jury’s determination.”

(b) Appellant insists however that, regardless of the contention made above, there is no substantial evidence to support the verdict of the jury, the argument being that there is no substantial evidence to show that Sherrill or any member of the crew was guilty of negligence. Again we do not agree with this contention. Appellant pleaded contributory negligence on the part of appellee, but this question was submitted to the jury under instructions of the court which are not here challenged.

Appellee, after stating that he was servicing his tractor nearby just prior to the time when the car was to be-moved, gave the following testimony:

“Q. While you were doing that, did anybody call you to come over there?
“A. They were over there trying to move this car.
“Q. Who are they, now?
‘ ‘ A. The section crew was there, Kelly Martin, Emmett Winchell, Dale Sheets and Harve Davis.
“Q. Where was the section foreman? Was he there ?
“A. He was there by the car pulling this lever.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Lester
242 S.W.2d 714 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1951)
W. P. Brown & Sons Lumber Co. v. Oaties
72 S.W.2d 213 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1934)
Vincennes Steel Corp. v. Gibson
106 S.W.2d 173 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1937)
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co. v. Washington
169 S.W. 770 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
270 S.W.2d 932, 223 Ark. 946, 1954 Ark. LEXIS 785, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arkansas-western-ry-co-v-currier-ark-1954.