Baird v. Northern Pacific Railway Co.

138 P. 325, 78 Wash. 67, 1914 Wash. LEXIS 981
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 6, 1914
DocketNo. 11626
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 138 P. 325 (Baird v. Northern Pacific Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baird v. Northern Pacific Railway Co., 138 P. 325, 78 Wash. 67, 1914 Wash. LEXIS 981 (Wash. 1914).

Opinion

Ellis, J.

Action to recover damages for personal injuries. The complaint alleges, in substance, that the defendant is and was, at all times mentioned, a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Wisconsin, owning and operating a transcontinental railway through the county of Lewis, with a junction point at Centralia; that

“On May 25th, 1912, and for a long time prior thereto, the said defendant operated a work train hauling gravel and material in the construction and repair of that part of its trans-continental system located at Centralia. That the said work train was under the care and charge of a conductor and upon which work train many men were employed in the work of constructing and repairing said defendant’s tracks and yards used by said defendant in its interstate commerce at Centralia.”

[69]*69It is further alleged that the defendant obtained gravel and dirt used in the construction and repair of its tracks and yards from a gravel pit north of Centraba; that the employees working in the gravel pit and on the work train who lived in Centraba usuaby rode out to the pit in the morning and back in the evening on the locomotive; that, on the evening of May 25, while the plaintiff and other workmen were returning from the gravel pit,, so riding, the locomotive was slowed down at a point in the city of-Centraba about half a mile north of the depot for the purpose of abowing them to get off and go to their homes nearby, and that, just as the plaintiff was about to step off, the engineer started the engine forward with a jerk which threw the plaintiff off, causing him to fab upon his arm, breaking one of the bones in the wrist, and inflicting permanent injury.

As grounds of negbgence, it is alleged that the defendant carelessly and negligently failed to provide a proper conveyance; that plaintiff was compelled to ride upon the pilot of the engine; and that, after the engine had slowed down for the purpose of permitting him to alight therefrom, the engineer negligently started the engine forward with a jerk, before the plaintiff had time to alight, with such force as to throw the plaintiff out of his balance, causing him to plunge forward, off of the engine, striking upon his left arm, breaking it at the wrist.

The answer denied the allegations of negbgence, denied that the plaintiff’s work had any connection with interstate commerce, denied the nature and extent of the injuries, and pleaded, as affirmative defenses, contributory negbgence, assumption of risk, and injury by negbgence of a fellow servant. The reply traversed these affirmative matters.

The evidence showed that the plaintiff began work for the defendant in January, 1912; that he first worked* in clearing ground for a new roundhouse in Centraba, and assisted in plowing the ground and afterwards worked as cable man on the work train haubng gravel from the gravel pit about a [70]*70mile and a half north of Centraba to the yards at Centraba, where it was unloaded. The cars were unloaded by means of a plow or scraper, drawn forward by a cable passing around a drum and operated by a Ledgerwood engine, thus shoving the gravel off through the side doors of the cars. The plaintiff’s duties as cable man were to open the doors and attach the cable to the plow. The plaintiff and nearly all of the men working on the gravel train and in the pit lived in Centraba, he and some of the others about half a mile north of the depot, and between the depot and the gravel pit. When plaintiff first began work as cable man, the cars were left at the pit at night and the engine, with the caboose attached, was brought in and left at the depot, and taken back again the following morning. The men would ride back and forth in the caboose. After a time, the use of the caboose, for some unexplained reason, was discontinued, and those of the men who so desired were permitted to ride back and forth on the engine. The men who worked overtime or who failed to get on the engine would walk to their homes. There was no evidence of any contract or agreement on the defendant’s part to carry any of the men from their homes to the pit, or from the pit to their homes. The most that the evidence showed in this particular was a permission to those who could be so accommodated to ride to and from their work on the engine.

The accident happened about fifteen or twenty minutes after six o’clock, and after the men had completed their day’s work and were returning home on the engine. The evidence showed that, in the mornings, a few minutes before seven o’clock, when the engine was going out to the pit, it would slow down and sometimes stop about half a mile north of the depot to allow the plaintiff and other men living in that vicinity to get on; and in the evening, when returning, the engine would slow down and sometimes stop at this same place so that the plaintiff and the others who lived near could get off; that when six o’clock, the quitting time, came, the [71]*71men at the pit who were ready to come in would get on the engine any place they could and those who were not ready would walk in; that, on the evening of the accident, the engine backed into Centraba from the pit; that the plaintiff stood upon a board which was extended across the front of the engine, above the pilot, a number of other men standing on the pilot; that all remained in this position until the engine slowed down at the place where the plaintiff and some of the others were to get off; that he stepped down onto the pilot, and was in the act of stepping off when the fireman, who had just stepped off, said to the engineer, “Let her go,” and, as the plaintiff testified: “I was just in the act of getting off, when they jerked the engine right square from under me, right square from under my feet, throwing me out and in falbng I broke my arm.” And again: “It seemed as though they threw the thing wide open and jerked the thing right square from under me, that is the way it appeared to me.” AU of the evidence fairly sustained this version of the occurrence. As to what was being done with the gravel, there was no evidence further than that it was used for making a fill at Centraba. . There was no evidence that the men at the gravel pit were employed in any matter connected with interstate commerce, or that the fill for which the gravel was used was in aid of the defendant’s interstate business. The plaintiff, over objection, was permitted to introduce in evidence defendant’s rule No. 171 as to the duties of work train conductors, as follows:

“171. Look after safety of employees engaged with train; examine grain doors and fastenings attached to cars, and see that they are in such condition that employes while working on or about the train are not exposed to risk or injury; report respecting work on which engaged to the officer in charge of such work, and telegraph the superintendent at the close of each days work report of work done, causes of delays, work to be done the fobowing day, and working bmits required.”

[72]*72At the close of the plaintiff’s evidence, the defendant moved for a nonsuit on the ground of insufficiency of evidence, and that the evidence affirmatively showed that the plaintiff, at the time of the injury, was not under, or acting within the provisions of the employer’s liability act. The motion was denied. The defendant introduced no evidence, but then moved for a directed verdict. After argument, the court said:

“I am of the opinion that the evidence is not sufficient to warrant a recovery under the Federal employers’ liability act.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
138 P. 325, 78 Wash. 67, 1914 Wash. LEXIS 981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baird-v-northern-pacific-railway-co-wash-1914.