Burkhalter v. Birmingham Electric Co.

6 So. 2d 864, 242 Ala. 388, 1942 Ala. LEXIS 73
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 19, 1942
Docket6 Div. 886.
StatusPublished

This text of 6 So. 2d 864 (Burkhalter v. Birmingham Electric Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burkhalter v. Birmingham Electric Co., 6 So. 2d 864, 242 Ala. 388, 1942 Ala. LEXIS 73 (Ala. 1942).

Opinions

*391 THOMAS, Justice.

The court sustained demurrers to the count as amended and plaintiff took a non-suit for such adverse ruling of the court.

The unusual provisions of the complaint setting forth the facts ascribing negligence to the defendant car company are contained in the statement of the case.

The sufficiency of the pleading is construed most strongly against the pleader. Thompson et al. v. City of Mobile, 240 Ala. 523, 199 So. 862. In considering the complaint, the particular facts averred must show whether or not an emergency existed. Jackson v. Vaughn, 204 Ala. 543, 86 So. 469.

It is the insistence of appellee that it is immaterial whether such emergency reasonably appeared to exist to the motorman of the Birmingham Electric Company at such time and place of operation (Birmingham Ry. Lt. & Pr. Co. v. Weathers, 164 Ala. 23, 51 So. 303; Central Kentucky Traction Co. v. Miller, 147 Ky. 110, 143 S.W. 750, 40 L.R.A.,N.S., 1184),—that the averred facts must show the existence of such emergency.

As to this contention the appellants say that if an unforeseen contingency arises rendering it necessary in the employer’s interest that his employe in charge at the time and place have temporary assistance, the law implies authority to procure such necessary help, and for such action of the employe, the master is liable for injury negligently inflicted by such temporary assistant. Georgia Pac. R. Co. v. Propst, 83 Ala. 518, 3 So. 764; Id., 85 Ala. 203, 4 So. 711; Marks v. Rochester Railway Co., 146 N.Y. 181, 40 N.E. 782; 9 Am.Neg.Cas. 639; 76 A.L.R. 964.

In the case of St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. Co. v. Hunt, 6 Ala.App. 434, 60 So. 530, 531, it is observed: “ ‘In such cases the master — that is, the railroad company— must be regarded as constructively present, and some one must be regarded as invested with a discretion and a right to speak in his name. One thus speaking, although ordinarily a servant, may now have the authority of an agent. He may have a right to give orders, and, although ordinarily a servant with those whom he addresses, he is now elevated, by necessity, to a higher position. He can command and they must obey.’ American Railroad Law (Baldwin) p. 253, § 8; Georgia Pac. Ry. Co. v. Propst, 83 Ala. 518, 3 So. 764; 3 Thompson On Neg. § 3175; 5 Rapalje & Mock’s Dig. Railway Law, p. 734.”

In St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Co. v. Bagwell, 33 Okl. 189, 124 P. 320, 40 L.R.A.,N.S., 1180, many authorities are collected to the following effect:

“It is a rule universally recognized that the relationship of master cannot be imposed upon a person without his consent, express or implied. But it is also a rule equally well recognized that a servant may engage an assistant in the case of an emergency, where he is unable to perform the work alone.
“The general rule is well stated in Aga v. Harbach, 127 Iowa [144], 152, 102 N.W. 833, 109 Am.St.Rep. 377, 4 Ann.Cas. 441, which is quoted at length in St. Louis & S.F.R. Co. v. Bagwell.
“See also Central Kentucky Traction Co. v. Miller, [147 Ky. 110], (143 S.W. 750), [40 L.R.A.,N.S.] 1184.
“ ‘An emergency employee, called on by another employee to assist him, for however short a time, becomes a fellow servant, and subject to the rules of law applicable to the injury of a servant by his fellow. But he must be so called on as of necessity in order to make him an employee, for a servant has no authority to call on another to help him in his master’s business as of necessity unless the necessity exists. If he can do the work himself, there is no occasion of necessity to imply power in him to employ assistance.’ Fiesel v. New York Edison Co., 123 App.Div. 676, 108 N.Y.S. 130.
“The vital question in cases of this character is, Does an emergency actually exist? It is to be noted that in case an emergency of this character has been found to exist, the emergency assistant, while he is entitled to all the rights and privileges of a servant, is also subject to the obligations of a servant, being in particular subject to the operation of the fellow-servant rule.” (Parenthesis supplied)

The doctrine of “emergency employment” is here presented. This rule was applied in Georgia Pac. R. Co. v. Propst, 83 Ala. 518, 3 So. 764, supra. In that case one of the brakemen of the train was sick and the conductor, feeling that he had not sufficient available force of brakemen to manage his train, requested Propst to supply the place of the sick brakeman. The court held from such facts that a sudden emergency had arisen, and that the conductor had the *392 expressed authority to supply the place of the sick man; and on the second appeal in the same case, reported in 85 Ala. 203, 4 So. 711, supra, it was held that under the facts as developed on the trial Propst was not employed by the conductor and recovery was denied.

The doctrine was again considered in Grissom v. Atlanta & B. Air Line Ry., 152 Ala. 110, 44 So. 661, 13 L.R.A.,N.S., 561, 126 Am.St.Rep. 20, wherein it was held that the evidence was not sufficient to show such an emergency existed.

We have indicated above that the Court of Appeals in St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. Co., v. Hunt, 6 Ala.App. 434, 60 So. 530, supra, held that the situation in that case created an emergency.

In 76 A.L.R. pp. 963, 964, 965, under the general annotation “Implied authority of servant to employ another in emergency so as to create relation of master and servant,” many cases are collected to the following effect:

“* * * The great majority of the cases have arisen in actions for injury to the alleged servant. It may be stated, however, that in a few instances the action was brought by a third party seeking to hold a defendant liable for acts of an alleged servant. No distinction has been made between the two situations.
jj< ij:
“The rule that a servant has implied authority in an emergency to employ an assistant, and that the person employed becomes a servant of the master, has been applied in a number of cases. * * * Alabama.—See Georgia P. R. Co. v. Propst (1887) 83 Ala. 518, 3 So. 764, 13 Am.Neg. Cas. 9 (second appeal in (1887) 85 Ala. 203, 4 So. 711) * * *
* * * *
“In addition, there are a number of cases wherein the rule has been recognized, but not applied. In most of these cases, the opinion indicates that the rule would have been applied if the evidence had shown that an emergency existed.
“Alabama.—Grissom v. Atlanta & B. Air Line R. Co. (1907) 152 Ala. 110, 44 So. 661, 13 L.R.A.,N.S., 561, 126 Am.St.Rep. 20.”

This annotation cites the case of Marks v. Rochester R. Co. 1895, 146 N.Y. 181, 40 N.E. 782, 784, 9 Am.Neg.Cas.

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

Related

Jackson v. Vaughn
86 So. 469 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1920)
Thompson v. City of Mobile
199 So. 862 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1941)
Marks v. Rochester Railway Co.
40 N.E. 782 (New York Court of Appeals, 1895)
St. Louis S. F. R. Co. v. Bagwell
1912 OK 217 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1912)
Fiesel v. New York Edison Co.
123 A.D. 676 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1908)
Georgia Pacific Railway Co. v. Propst
83 Ala. 518 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1887)
Georgia Pacific Railroad v. Propst
85 Ala. 203 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1887)
St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. v. Hunt
60 So. 530 (Alabama Court of Appeals, 1912)
W. B. Conkey Co. v. Bueherer
84 Ill. App. 633 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1899)
Aga v. Harbach
102 N.W. 833 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1905)
Central Kentucky Traction Co. v. Miller
143 S.W. 750 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1912)
Grissom v. A. & B. Air Line Ry.
44 So. 661 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1907)
Birmingham Railway Light & Power Co. v. Weathers
51 So. 303 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1909)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 So. 2d 864, 242 Ala. 388, 1942 Ala. LEXIS 73, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burkhalter-v-birmingham-electric-co-ala-1942.