Collison v. Curtner

216 S.W. 1059, 141 Ark. 122, 8 A.L.R. 760, 1919 Ark. LEXIS 323
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedDecember 8, 1919
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 216 S.W. 1059 (Collison v. Curtner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Collison v. Curtner, 216 S.W. 1059, 141 Ark. 122, 8 A.L.R. 760, 1919 Ark. LEXIS 323 (Ark. 1919).

Opinion

Wood, J.

On the 3rd of October, 1918, David Curtner, accompanied by his son, Woodrow Curtner, five years of age, drove a load of cotton to the gin of J. Collison at Bald Knob, Arkansas. While waiting to have the cotton ginned, Curtner and Ms son went into the boiler room of the gin, and while there a plug at the bottom of the boiler was blown out and Curtner and his son were scalded. The son died from the injuries received and David Curtner, in a separate action, in his own right, and as administrator of the estate of his son, instituted another action against the appellant to recover damages for the injury and death of the son.

The grounds of negligence set forth in the complaints are that Oollisón negligently and carelessly permitted the boiler to become and remain insecure and unsafe, in that the plug used by him to stop the blowpipe at thebottom of the boiler was too large for the opening, and when screwed into the opening only a few threads would catch; that the threads in the opening of the boiler were worn, some of them being entirely gone, making the plug insecure in the opening; that the plug blew out and permitted the steam and hot water to escape and burn the plaintiff below, appellee here, rendering him a cripple for life; that Collison at the time of and before the happening of the accident knew of, or in the exercise of ordinary care could have known of, the defective condition of the boiler and that such condition was wholly unknown to the appellee. The appellee then set forth minutely the nature of the injuries received.

The appellee alleged that he had suffered and that he will continue to suffer for the remainder of his life great pain of body and anguish of mind as a result of the injuries. That on account of his own personal injuries he had been damaged in the sum of $30,000, for which he asked judgment.

In the case of the appellee as administrator of the estate of his son he alleged the same grounds of negligence and set up that his son was injured by reason thereof and suffered great agony and finally died as the result of the negligence alleged. ■

He averred that the services of his minor son were worth to him the sum of $5,000 and that he should recover for the benefit of the estate in the sum of $15,000. He, therefore, prayed for judgment in the sum of $20,000.

In his answer the defendant, appellant here, denied all the material allegations of the complaint and set up as an affirmative defense that the gin where the accident happened had been rented by the appellant to one N. B. Ledgerwood, who at the time.was in the exclusive possession, control, management, and operation of the same; that if the appellee and his son were injured their injuries were caused by the appellee’s going into the boiler room and taking his son without the invitation or permission of the appellant; that appellee knew or should have known that it was a dangerous place and was a trespasser, and was therefore guilty of contributory negligence.

The allegations of the answer in the ease of the appellee as administrator of the estate of his son were substantially the same. In that case the appellant charged that the appellee was guilty of-contributory negligence in taking his son into a dangerous place and allowing him to remain there.

The causes were consolidated for the trial.

Appellant first contends that at the time of the accident the gin was being operated by one N. B. Ledger-wood under a lease from appellant which exempted him from liability in damages for the injuries of which the appellee complains. The lease was dated August 1,1918, and was between J. Collison, the lessor, and N. B. Ledgerwood, the lessee, and recites in part as follows: “For and in consideration of the payment of rentals hereinafter reserved, and the covenants herein, the lessor hereby grants, lets and leases unto the lessee, his executor, administrator and assigns, for a period of one (1) year from the date hereof, the following property:

“All the property — personal and real — now used and known as the ‘Collison Grin Plant,’ including the realty upon which it is located, in the town of Bald Knob, Arkansas, and the use and the employment of all machinery, fixtures, implements, utensils, supplies on hand, and all other things which now constitute or is a part of the said gin plant, or located upon the premises and which are considered a part of the said gin plant. * * *
“It being agreed, that the lessor shall furnish all wood, coal and other fuel, oil, belting, and other supplies, all repairs and new parts of machinery, and other similar things necessary for the successful operation of the said plant, and shall receive from the lessee the sum of four dollars and twenty-five cents for each and every bale of cotton ginned and turned out at the said plant and shall, also, receive all profits and gain from the handling and sale of cotton seed coming from said gin. And the lessee shall pay said amount per bale, and concede all profits and gain from the handling and sale of cotton seed from said plant, and assumes and agrees to be responble for and assumes all liabilities for wages, debts, damages and otherwise, arising from or growing out of the operation of the said gin plant. And the lessor shall, during the period of said lease be in no wise connected with the operation or management of the said gin plant, and assumes no liability therefor. But the lessor shall assist the lessee in keeping books, accounts and do other records of the business when requested so to do.”

The contention of the appellant is that under the above lease Ledgerwood at the time of the accident was an independent contractor and if the explosion was caused throug*h any acts of negligence such acts were those of Ledgerwood.

The court at the instance of the appellee over the objection of the appellant gave instructions to- the effect' that under the terms of the lease appellant agreed to furnish all the repairs on the cotton gin; that if the jury found that at the time the alleged lease was executed the boiler plug near the back end was insecurely fastened and that the threads of the boiler would not catch and hold the plug in position, and that by reason thereof the boiler at said place was unsafe and dangerous, and that appellant knew this or could have known it by the use of ordinary care and reasonable inspection; and that if they found that there was this unsafe and dangerous condition, and that it continued to exist from the date of the alleged lease until the injury, and that appellant negligently failed to repair it, the alleged lease would not constitute a defense, provided that the appellee and his child were lawfully upon the premises at the time and place of the alleged injury and that the negligence, if any, of the appellant was the direct and proximate result of the injury as defined in other instructions.

The specific grounds of objection to the above instructions were that they told the jury that the appellant agreed to furnish all the repairs on the cotton gin when under the undisputed evidence the appellant was only to furnish the material for making such repairs as his lessee might find necessary and such as he might make demand for; and, further, because the undisputed evidence showed that appellant had nothing to do with putting the machinery in condition and repair prior to the operation of the same for the season of 1918.

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

Related

Northland Casualty Co. v. Meeks
540 F.3d 869 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
Thomas v. Stewart
60 S.W.3d 415 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2001)
Majewski v. Cantrell
737 S.W.2d 649 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1987)
Hurst v. Feild
661 S.W.2d 393 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1983)
Putnam v. Stout
345 N.E.2d 319 (New York Court of Appeals, 1976)
Ben M. Hogan Company, Inc. v. Nichols
496 S.W.2d 404 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1973)
Ratzlaff v. Franz Foods of Arkansas
468 S.W.2d 239 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1971)
Erhart v. Hummonds
334 S.W.2d 869 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1960)
Hogan v. Hill
318 S.W.2d 580 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1958)
Missouri Pacific Transportation Co. v. Gray
198 S.W.2d 417 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1946)
Fortner v. Moses
49 A.2d 660 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1946)
Butler v. Maney
200 So. 226 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1941)
Arkansas Fuel Oil Company v. Scaletta
140 S.W.2d 684 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1940)
Fonyo v. Chicago Title & Trust Co.
16 N.E.2d 192 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1938)
Van Avery v. Platte Valley Land & Investment Co.
275 N.W. 288 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1937)
Timmons v. Williams Wood Products Corp.
162 S.E. 329 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1932)
Kearns v. Steinkamp
45 S.W.2d 519 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1932)
Faulkinbury v. Shaw
39 S.W.2d 708 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1931)
Cullings v. Goetz
176 N.E. 397 (New York Court of Appeals, 1931)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
216 S.W. 1059, 141 Ark. 122, 8 A.L.R. 760, 1919 Ark. LEXIS 323, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/collison-v-curtner-ark-1919.