Atwood v. Chicago, R. I. & P. Ry. Co.

72 F. 447, 1896 U.S. App. LEXIS 2568
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western Missouri
DecidedFebruary 5, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 72 F. 447 (Atwood v. Chicago, R. I. & P. Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Atwood v. Chicago, R. I. & P. Ry. Co., 72 F. 447, 1896 U.S. App. LEXIS 2568 (circtwdmo 1896).

Opinion

PHILIPS, Distinct Judge

(orally). At the conclusion of the plaintiff’s evidence, each defendant has interposed, in the nature of a demurrer to the evidence, an instruction directing the jury to find for the defendants notwithstanding the evidence. It is evident that the petition in this case was framed on the theory of the right of a joint action against the defendant corporations growing out of concurring acts of. negligence contributing to the injury in question. It alleges that the defendant the Rock Island Railway Company “operated its trains between the city of Topeka, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, over the railroad of the said Union Pacific Railroad Company, hereinafter described.” There is no averment as to the relation existing between these two companies, — no allegation as to the terms or conditions upon which the Rock Island Company operated its trains over the track of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. It appears from the petition that the railroad track was and is the property of the Union Pacific Company. Whether by lease or other contract the Rock Island Company ran its trains on this railroad does not appear. The averment of the petition would hold good even if the Rock Island Company were a mere intruder or trespasser upon this road.

When it comes to the specific allegations by which it was sought [449]*449to fix the liability oí tbe Union Pacific Railroad Company for this injury, it is alleged as follows:

“Plaintiff: further alleges that said Union Pacific train No. 1-12 left Lawrence about 4:30 o'clock on the morning of the 2d day of January, 1894; that, under the rules governing the operation of all the trains upon the railroad in question, it was the duty of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific train to remain at Lawrence fen minutes after the departure of the said Union Pacific,train; that it was the duty of the receivers of the Union Pacific Railway Company, through its train dispatchers and telegraph operators, to hold said Rock Island train at Lawrence for ton minutes after the departure of the Union Pacific train, but, wholly disregarding its duty in that respect, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific train negligently and carelessly left Lawrence, and followed said Union Pacific train, within five minutes after the departure of said Union Pacific train; that, wholly disregarding their duties in that respect, said receivers of tjie Union Pacific Company negligently and carelessly permitted said Rock Island train to leave Lawrence within five minutes after the departure of said Union Pacific train No. 1-12.”

There is no other negligent act or omission of duty contributing to the injury alleged against the Union Pacific Railway Company.

It is a well-recognized rule of pleading and practice in this jurisdiction, following the repeated rulings of the supreme court of this state, that the proof can never be broader than the averments of the petition; that a party cannot recover upon other ground of negligence than that specifically alleged; for the reason that the defendant comes to court with bis evidence to, meet the issue, and none other, presented by the plaintiffs petition. It is not correct, as claimed by counsel for plaintiff, that recovery may be had upon this petition because of the assumed failure of the defendant to hold the train at some other point 10 minutes between Lawrence and the place of disaster. Under the petition, Lawrence is the initial point, and the negligence on the part of the Union Pacific Company is limited and restricted to the station at. Lawrence. The neglect is alleged to have occurred there, and not" elsewhere. There was no special effort on the part of the plaintiff to show by direct testimony the precise time or minute at which the Rock Island train was permitted to follow the Union Pacific train out of the Lawrence station, and there was certainly no effort on the part of the Union Pacific Railway Company to help out the plaintiff in respect of this issue, whatever oflier assistance she may have received from the Union Pacific Company in her effort to fix the responsibility for her husband’s death on the Rock Island Company. It is true, as contended by plaintiff’s counsel, that there is some evidence tending to show that the Rock Island Company, at the Lawrence station, assisted in pushing and starling the Union Pacific train out of that station; but how long it stopped after that time we do not know. It appears that there was a watering station and a switch at Bismark Grove, at which trains were accustomed to stop, which was near the corporate limits of the city of Lawrence; that the Rock Island train pulled up there as if to pass the Union Pacific train, which was not accomplished. As to what interval of time in fact elapsed between the leaving the station at Lawrence of these two trains it is im[450]*450possible to determine from ibis evidence. The rules prescribed by the Union Pacific Railway Company declare exactly how these trains should leave the station; -that no train should leave a station until it has permission or direction from the train dis.patcher or operator at that place. Where a party undertakes to recover judgment against another, to take the property of one, and appropriate it to his use, upon the ground of an imputed negligent act, the evidence ought to be so direct and tangible as to satisfy the conscience of both court and jury that a case is made out.

And, even if it could be held that there is sufficient evidence to go to the jury to determine the time within which the train in question did leave Lawrence station, the next question which confronts the court and jury is, was there any real connection between the time of the departure of the Rock Island train from Lawrence and the accident in question? Uo recovery can be predicated upon an imputed negligent act unless such act contributes directly to the injury. The wliole drift of the plaintiff’s testimony in this respect, assisted by the employés, agents, and lawyers of the Union Pacific Railway Company, being directed to show that after passing beyond Lawrence, knowing that the Union Pacific train was in advance of the Rock Island train, and could be readily seen, so that, by the exercise of due care and caution on the part of the Rock Island engineer and servants, the accident could have been prevented, it is quite inconceivable that, under the evidence presented, there was any such connection between the time of leaving Lawrence station and the collision to warrant the conclusion that the failure of the Union Pacific Company’s agents at Lawrence to restrain the Rock Island train there for 10 minutes contributed directly or even remotely to the accident. Therefore, to maintain this action, it must be held under such a petition, on general principles of law, that the Union Pacific Company is liable for damages resulting from injury to one of its own employés by reason of the negligent act of the Rock Island Company while running its train, over the track of the Union Pacific Company.

Counsel for the latter company direct the attention of the court to the decisions of the court of appeals of Texas and of the supreme court of Indiana which hold, in effect, that the company in whose service the employé is, the employer himself being free from negligence contributing to the injury, is not liable for the injury resulting from the wrongful act of a third party. The argument of these courts is that the liability, as in the case of the Union Pacific Company to its own employés, must spring either from a contractual relation, or from some obligation which the law, on principles of public policy, imposes.

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Bluebook (online)
72 F. 447, 1896 U.S. App. LEXIS 2568, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/atwood-v-chicago-r-i-p-ry-co-circtwdmo-1896.