Beaumont S. L. & W. Ry. Co. v. Schmidt

45 S.W.2d 734
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 14, 1932
DocketNo. 2614
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 45 S.W.2d 734 (Beaumont S. L. & W. Ry. Co. v. Schmidt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beaumont S. L. & W. Ry. Co. v. Schmidt, 45 S.W.2d 734 (Tex. Ct. App. 1932).

Opinion

WALTHALL, J.

This is a suit for damages for personal injuries. At the time of the happening of the circumstances involved here, appellee was in the employ of appellant railway company as telegraph operator and clerk at Huffman, Tex., a station on appellant’s line of railroad. At Huffman appellant maintained a nearby well and water tank, used for supplying its trains with water. The water was pumped into the water tank from the well by means of a kerosene or oil burning engine. At the time appellee received his injuries complained of in this suit, he was operating the water engine pump, as was one of his duties, and had oiled the engine, and while in the act of turning away from the engine after inspecting an oil cup located over the engine gearing or cogwheel, and used as an appliance in oiling the engine machinery, to see whether the oil was dripping properly from the oil cup, when his clothing, that is, his sweater he was wearing became entangled in certain rotating parts of the machinery thereby pulling appellee backwards into the machinery of the water pumping plant, causing his right arm to become caught between two exposed meshed cogwheels, and to be cut off. The water pump and engine were connected by means of a clutch, a mechanism which revolves swiftly, when in motion, on the shaft of the engine; the clutch extending, out from the shaft in a V shape when engaged with the pump and in operation, but which lies practically flat when disengaged. The two collars of the clutch working on the shaft of the engine are connected by means of links about six inches in length. One end of each link is attached to the collar, and the other ends of the links are joined about midway between the two collars by means of pins through the ends of which cotter keys are, or are supposed to be, fixed. On the occasion in question, instead of using cotter keys in said pins, eight or ten-penny finishing nails about 2% inches in length were used. At the time appellee was injured, these nails were protruding from the apex of this Y-shaped mechanism of said clutch while appellee had turned back from oiling the machinery then engaged, to see that the oil cup was properly dripping oil, the back of his sweater was caught by a nail used for a cotter key, as described, and appellee was jerked into said engine and injured.

Appellee assigned as negligence on the part of appellant the use of the nails in place of cotter keys in the clutch of said engine, allowing said nails to extend and protrude in such manner as to catch on objects coming in contact therewith; that he (appellee) was not a mechanic, and had no technical knowledge of the operation of the engine and pump involved ; that he had no notice, knowledge, or instructions as to the mechanical operation of said engine and pump machinery, and no warning or instruction as to any danger to be encountered in the operation thereof; and that said machinery and clutch, in the condition described, was dangerous, and that the acts stated were negligence on the part of appellant and proximately caused the injuries and damages complained of, stating his injuries and the damages sustained, for which he sued. Other matters of negligence are reflected in the issues submitted, which we need not here state.

Appellant answered by a general denial and special pleas in bar of the cause of action; that appellee had assumed the risk of the dangers and hazards which caused his injuries; that the damages encountered were such only as were ordinarily incident to ap-pellee’s employment, and were open, obvious, plain, and simple, and were fully appreciated by appellee; that they must necessarily have been observed and appreciated by any person of ordinary prudence similarly situated; appellant further pleaded contributory negligence on the part of appellee.

On special issues submitted, on a- preponderance of the evidence, the jury found substantially as follows:

(1) Defendant, on the occasion in question, allowed nails to be used in the place of cotter keys through the bolts holding the links of the clutch of the engine in question.

(2 and 3) Such action on the part of defendant was negligence as that term is defined, and was a proximate cause, as defined, of the injuries complained of.

(4, 5, and 6) The defendant, upon the occasion in question, allowed nails used in the place of cotter keys, attached to the clutch of the engine in question, to protrude in such manner that the same would, while said clutch was revolving, hang or catch on objects with which the same came in contact, and was negligence, as that term is defined, and was a proximate cause of the injuries complained of.

(7) Plaintiff, upon the occasion in question, was unskilled in the operation of machinery of the kind and character here in question.

(8) The revolving clutch of the engine in question upon the occasion in question, as it was equipped with nails in the links, and under all the facts in evidence was dangerous for a person unskilled in the operation of such machinery to operate.

(9, 10, and 11) The defendant failed to exercise ordinary care, as that term is defined to us, to warn the plaintiff, prior to the time of his injuries, of the dangers that might reasonably be encountered from said -revolving clutch; such failure to exercise ordinary [737]*737care to warn plaintiff of the dangers as found under issue 9, was negligence; and such negligence was a proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries complained of.

(12) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that plaintiff knew it would •be dangerous if he got his clothing or any part of his body in contact with the rapidly revolving gears of defendant’s engine and machinery? Answer yes or no as you find the facts to be.” The jury answered “No.”

No issue' 13 is in the record.

(14) Plaintiff knew if he caught his arm between the revolving cogwheels of defendant’s engine and pump he would probably be hurt.

(15) Plaintiff’s accident and resulting injuries- were not proximately caused by his failure to exercise ordinary diligence in thinking about his work and about the dangers that he was encountering in such work.

No issue 16 is in the record.

(17) A person of ordinary prudence of plaintiff’s age and experience, with the particular engine and pump machinery in question, placed in the same or a similar situation would not have comprehended the danger of the exposed revolving gears.

(18) The condition of the clutch and its parts were not open and obvious to view.

(19) (a) and (b) not answered.

(20) Plaintiff, standing as he did in such proximity to such engine and machinery while in motion, did not fail to exercise ordinary care to keep himself and his clothing a safe distance therefrom.

(21) Conditional and not answered.

(22) Plaintiff was not negligent in permitting some part of his sweater to become caught in the rapidly revolving shaft or clutch mechanism of defendant’s engine and pump.

(23) Conditional and no answer.

(24) Plaintiff’s accident and resulting injuries were not proximately caused by his -failure to take reasonable care to keep himself and clothing a safe distance from the moving parts of such engine and pump.

(25) Plaintiff was not negligent in working, without objection, on or about the engine and pump machinery in the condition it was at the time of his accident and resulting injuries.

(26) Conditional and no answer.

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Related

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Clair
217 S.W.2d 681 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1949)
Houston North Shore Railway Co. v. Tyrrell
98 S.W.2d 786 (Texas Supreme Court, 1936)
Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western Railway Co. v. Schmidt
72 S.W.2d 899 (Texas Supreme Court, 1934)
Beaumont, S. L. & W. Ry. Co. v. Schmidt
72 S.W.2d 899 (Texas Commission of Appeals, 1934)

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45 S.W.2d 734, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beaumont-s-l-w-ry-co-v-schmidt-texapp-1932.