Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis Railroad v. Revalee

46 N.E. 352, 17 Ind. App. 657, 1897 Ind. App. LEXIS 153
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 23, 1897
DocketNo. 2,029
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 46 N.E. 352 (Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis Railroad v. Revalee) 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
Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis Railroad v. Revalee, 46 N.E. 352, 17 Ind. App. 657, 1897 Ind. App. LEXIS 153 (Ind. Ct. App. 1897).

Opinion

Black, J.

The appellee sued the appellant to recover damages for personal injuries. The complaint, omitting the introductory matter, about which there is no question, alleged, in substance, that on the 29th day of September, 1894, the appellee purchased of the appellant’s passenger ticket agent at Connersville, a round trip ticket from that place to Lockland, Ohio, and in consideration of the price paid, etc., the appellant agreed and was bound, as a common carrier, to carry appellee safely, etc.; that appellee on said day took passage at Connersville on one of appellant’s regular passenger trains, which, by the rules of the appellant and by the schedule prepared by it for the information of the traveling public and its agents, was, on that day, scheduled to stop for receiving passengers on said train, and allowing passengers to alight from it at both of said places; that the conductor, or agent of the appellant, in charge of the train accepted that portion of the ticket for the appellee’s fare from Connersville to Lockland; that the appellant’s agent in charge of the train, when it.was within one-half mile of the town of Lockland, notified appellee that the train was approaching that town, and told her to be in readiness to get off, as the train was late and would not stop long at appellant’s station; that appellee had with her, and in her charge, her infant child, which, on account of its tender years, was not able to walk or take care of itself; that as the train [659]*659approached the appellant’s station at said town, appellant’s agents in charge of the train called ont in the coach, where appellee was riding, the name of appellant’s station at said town oh Lockland, notifying the passengers within said coach that the train would stop at Lockland, and that it was the next station at which it would stop; that as soon as said station was so called, the appellee prepared to leave the train; that as it approached said station the train decreased its speed to such an extent that when it reached the station it almost stopped; that appellee, with her child in her arms, was at the door of the coach in which she was riding when the train had reduced its speed until it almost stopped, as aforesaid, and then stepped out on the platform of the coach, at which time the train wholly stopped at said station, and the appellee immediately, with her said child in her arms, attempted to alight from said train; that she, with reasonable expedition, immediately, and with due care, and without any fault on her part, descended the steps of said coach; that just as she reached-the last or bottom step of said coach, and was just in the act of stepping therefrom, in her attempt to alight from said train, as aforesaid, the appellant’s agents in charge of the train, without warning or caution to her, and without giving her a reasonable time to alight from said train, unlawfully and negligently started said train with a violent jerk, by reason of which she was thrown, without any fault or negligence of hers, off said step to the stone platform or pavement which the appellant had provided at said station for its passengers to alight upon; that she was thrown in so violent a manner, and with such force, that her head, arms, back, and shoulders struck upon said pavement with such force that, etc., her injuries being described. It is further alleged, that the train did not stop at [660]*660said station long enough for her to alight in safety, but, on the contrary, it barely came to a stop until it was started with a violent jerk, throwing her off, as aforesaid; that the agents of the appellant in charge of the train, long before said station was reached, knew that appellee had said small child with her, and that it would be necessary for her to carry said child from the train, and, knowing this, appellant unlawfully and negligently failed to haVe any agent or servant at the proper place to assist the appellee in alighting from the train; that the appellee was without fault on her part in all things, and the injuries which she sustained were all the result of the carelessness and negligence of the appellant, as aforesaid; that by reason of said injuries she had sustained damages in the sum of $5,000.00. Wherefore, etc.

A demurrer to the complaint for want of sufficient facts was overruled. The appellant answered by general denial. Upon trial of the cause by jury, a general verdict for the appellee for $2,500.00 was returned.

The appellant’s motion for a new trial was overruled, and judgment was rendered on the verdict.

It is contended on behalf of the appellant that the complaint shows that the appellee’s negligence contributed to her injury. It is urged that for a woman to go upon the platform or down on the steps with a child two years old in her arms, when the train is in motion, is negligence. The complaint alleges that appellee was at the door when the train had reduced its speed until it almost stopped; that she then stepped out on the platform, “at which time the train wholly stopped,” etc. If the complaint shows that the appellee went upon the platform while the train was in motion, it does not show that she descended the steps and attempted to alight while it was in motion. It shows with sufficient certainty that she descended the [661]*661steps and attempted to alight when the train stopped, and that thereafter the train was started with a violent jerk, by reason of which she was thrown off the step to the stone platform; that the train did not stop long enough for her to alight in safety, but it barely came to a stop until it was started with a violent jerk. It does not appear from the complaint that the appellee was injured while she was upon the platform, or that her going upon it caused her injury, or contributed directly to it. If she had remained there, she would have been in a place of safety. We cannot say, then, that it was negligence for her to go out upon the platform.

The particular allegations of the complaint are not so inconsistent with its general allegations that the appellee was without fault or negligence, as to overcome the effect of those general allegations. The objection made to the complaint in argument does not seem to be well taken.

The sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict is questioned by appellant. The evidence showed that the appellee was accompanied by her father and his daughter-in-law, and appellee’s child, two years and about two months old; that appellee went upon the platform of the car and down to its lowest step with her child upon her left arm; that her sister-in-law and father followed her from the car to the platform thereof, and were still upon the platform when she was injured.

There was a wide difference between the evidence introduced by the appellant and that produced by the appellee, as to the manner in which she received her injury.

The evidence of the appellant tended to prove that the train stopped at the station, in front of the depot,, and remained there from one minute and a half to [662]

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Bluebook (online)
46 N.E. 352, 17 Ind. App. 657, 1897 Ind. App. LEXIS 153, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cincinnati-hamilton-indianapolis-railroad-v-revalee-indctapp-1897.