Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad v. Brown

320 N.E.2d 809, 162 Ind. App. 493, 1974 Ind. App. LEXIS 865
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 18, 1974
Docket3-174A7
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 320 N.E.2d 809 (Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad v. Brown, 320 N.E.2d 809, 162 Ind. App. 493, 1974 Ind. App. LEXIS 865 (Ind. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinions

Hoffman, C.J.

This is an appeal by defendant-appellant, Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (Railroad) from a judgment in favor of plaintiff-appellee, Symantha V. Brown, [495]*495in an action to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by Brown as she attempted to board defendant-appellant’s train.

On February 1, 1971, Mrs. Brown filed her complaint wherein it was alleged, inter alia, that she sustained personal injuries while boarding a train and that such injuries were proximately caused by Railroad’s negligence. Mrs. Brown requested $250,000 in damages. Following trial before a jury, a verdict was returned in favor of Mrs. Brown in the amount of $125,000. Judgment was subsequently entered on the verdict. Thereafter, Railroad’s motion to correct errors was overruled and this appeal was perfected.

An examination of the evidence most favorable to appellee discloses that at approximately 4:45 P.M. on March 11, 1969, Mrs. Brown was waiting at the Van Burén Street Station in Chicago, Illinois, to board a train for a return to her residence in Gary, Indiana. The platform at the station was crowded with other passengers awaiting the same train, as it was each week day at such time. Mrs. Brown stood back and did not attempt to be near the front of the crowd in order to avoid being pushed.

As the train arrived at the station and came to a stop, Thomas Larry Payne, a ticket collector, opened the doors, stepped out, and advised the waiting passengers to watch their step. As Mrs. Brown approached the train door, she was pushed. Her left leg dropped into the space between the train and the platform, causing her to fall on her right shoulder, arm, wrist and leg. Following her fall, Mrs. Brown lifted herself unaided by either the conductor or other passengers who offered no assistance. She thereafter walked into the train and seated herself. Mrs. Brown testified that her clothing was dirty, her stockings were torn and that both of her legs were.bruised. She further testified that she was generally “hurting all over” and that her neck felt as though “it had been jerked” when she fell. When the train reached Gary, Mrs. Brown was taken to the Emergency Room at Methodist [496]*496Hospital where she received first-aid care for bruises and an injection for pain. X-rays also taken at the time disclosed no fractures of her legs.

It was later determined that Mrs. Brown had suffered a herniated disc at the fourth and fifth interstice of the lumbar section in the lower area of her spine. In the opinion of plaintiff’s witness, Dr. Robert S. Martino, such condition was caused by the plaintiff’s fall. As a consequence of the condition, a laminectomy was performed. Approximately six weeks after the operation, Mrs. Brown complained of pain in her neck and arm. Thereafter, she underwent a fusion of fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae. Following such operation, Mrs. Brown experienced considerable pain and had difficulty swallowing. As a result, a second cervical fusion was later performed. Complications arising from the operation required further treatment and minor surgery.

The first issue to be considered is whether the verdict of the jury in favor of Mrs. Brown is supported by sufficient evidence.

Appellant contends that it is not the insurer of the safety of its passengers and that its only duty is to exercise ordinary or reasonable care under all circumstances. It is asserted that under the circumstances existing at the time of Mrs. Brown’s accident such duty did not include taking any special precaution to prevent Mrs. Brown from being pushed by another passenger and injured thereby. Furthermore, Railroad contends that if the jury could find it was negligent in failing to anticipate the danger and to take adequate precautions, the jury also had to find Mrs. Brown to be contributorily negligent in failing to do the same.

It is undisputed that Illinois substantive law is to be applied in this case. However, remedial and procedural matters are controlled by the law of Indiana, the forum State. See e.g., Horvath v. Davidson (1970), 148 Ind. App. 203, 264 N.E.2d 328. Application of this principle to the case at bar requires that the subject of duty of care [497]*497be governed by the law of Illinois and that questions with' regard to the burden of proof at trial and standard of review to be applied by this court be controlled by the law of Indiana.

At trial, appellee-Brown sought to demonstrate that Railroad was negligent in the following manner:

“1. It failed to anticipate the gathering of a crowd at the entrance and exit to its train and failed to take * reasonable precautions * * * to avert injury to Brown by the rushing or crowding of the persons thus assembled.
“2. It failed to keep a proper lookout for the safety of the plaintiff and to provide a person to control and supervise the crowd.
“3. It failed to take cognizance of the habits, customs, and practices followed generally by its passengers insofar as these actions presented a hazard to Brown, and with an awareness of hazards, the railroad failed to reasonably take appropriate steps to avoid injury to Brown.
“4. It was negligent in allowing and not safeguarding the open space between the car and the platform.”

Under Illinois law, Railroad, as a common carrier, was bound to exercise a high degree of care toward its passengers. This duty included the responsibility to prevent injuries which would have been reasonably foreseen and avoided by the carrier. Letsos v. Chicago Transit Authority (1970), 47 Ill. 2d 437, 265 N.E.2d 650.

Mrs. Brown was approaching, with the intent to board, one of Railroad’s trains when she fell and therefore was a passenger to whom Railroad owed a duty to exercise a high degree of care. Katamay v. Chicago Transit Authority (1972), 53 Ill. 2d 27, 289 N.E.2d 623.

If Railroad had reason to anticipate the incident which resulted in Mrs. Brown’s injury and failed to exercise the high degree of care and vigilance practicable under the circumstances to prevent the injury, then Railroad is liable for its negligence despite the miscon[498]*498duct of the unknown person or persons who pushed Mrs.Brown. Letsos v. Chicago Transit Authority, supra.

Whether Railroad had reason to anticipate the incident and whether it exercised the proper care were questions of fact for resolution by the jury. In reviewing the jury’s determination of these factual questions, the reviewing court must consider only that evidence supporting the jury’s verdict in favor of Mrs. Brown.

The evidence indicates that from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. on every week day the Van Burén Street Station platform was crowded with people whose principal desire was a fast exit from the city. When a train would arrive at the station, the crowd would push in order to board the train and obtain a seat. Railroad was aware that a crowd was present at such times. A railroad employee, Payne, testified that he would not go out onto the platform during the rush hour because he feared being trampled by the crowd.

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Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad v. Brown
320 N.E.2d 809 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
320 N.E.2d 809, 162 Ind. App. 493, 1974 Ind. App. LEXIS 865, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-south-shore-south-bend-railroad-v-brown-indctapp-1974.