Davidson v. Montgomery Ward & Co.

171 Ill. App. 355, 1912 Ill. App. LEXIS 651
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 14, 1912
DocketGen. No. 16,916
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 171 Ill. App. 355 (Davidson v. Montgomery Ward & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davidson v. Montgomery Ward & Co., 171 Ill. App. 355, 1912 Ill. App. LEXIS 651 (Ill. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Baldwin

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Cook county, Illinois, on a verdict for $35,000, in favor of appellee, for personal injuries. Plaintiff was employed by one Borden on his farm near Tonti, Illinois. He was a carpenter by trade and, on the farm, had charge of engines and other appliances in grinding grain, sawing wood, running windmills, etc., and of repairing machinery. One Dr. Johnson was also employed on the farm as superintendent. Appellee and Johnson examined a catalogue, issued by appellant, in which there was a description of a saw frame including a balance wheel. Subsequently Johnson ordered for his employer from appellant one of the kind there shown. Not having the implement in stock, appellant filled the order by directing the Sycamore Foundry Company, manufacturers of it, to send one direct to Borden, where it was set up by appellee, who began to saw wood with it. After the machine had been running an hour or two, its balance wheel burst and appellee was very seriously injured. He made a settlement with his employer, Borden, by which he received an annuity, and gave back a covenant not to sue, and then brought this action against appellant. During its brief service, before the accident, the saw was run by a gasoline engine which had been previously used by appellee to run a similar saw at various times during the preceding eighteen months. After the accident it was found that along the lines of the break the balance wheel was rough and filled with pores, and upon the trial it was referred to as “in a honey-combed condition, having, along the line of break, numerous pores that came to the surface, resulting in the defective part appearing like a sponge.” These alleged defects, however, had been covered over and filled with black paint, concealing them. Two holes had also been bored in the rim, for • the purpose of balancing the wheel The break began at these holes and passed through the parts where the pores were thickest and largest.

The declaration consisted of five counts, the last of which was withdrawn by appellee at the close of his evidence.

The first count charged that appellant was the manufacturer of the machine in question; that the balance wheel was so negligently made that it contained flaws and defects and that it was unsafe for the purpose for which it was sold, and that such condition was known to the appellant, or would have been known if it had used due care in that behalf; that the balance wheel, before it was sold, was covered with paint so that its defects were hidden and unknown to appellee; that appellant sold the saw frame, including the balance wheel, to Borden to be used by him and his servants, including the appellee, on Borden’s farm in sawing wood; that while appellee, as such servant and employe of Borden, was operating said wood saw, and in the exercise of due care, by reason of said flaws in said balance wheel, due to the negligence of appellant, the balance wheel burst and appellee was injured.

The second, third and fourth counts alleged that at and before the time of the sale of the wood saw frame, appellant falsely held out and represented to Borden and his servants and his employes, including appellee, and the public, in general, that the saw frame, including the balance wheel, was made of good material, and was of the best construction, and would do the work for which it was intended; aver that said balance wheel was not made of good material—was not of the best construction, and would not do the work for which it was intended, but, on the contrary, was made of poor, unsuitable material, contained flaws and defects, and was honeycombed, weak, insecure and unsafe for doing the work for which it was intended and made, and for the purpose for which it was sold by appellant to Borden, and the balance wheel was likely to explode and burst when used; that after it was so manufactured and before it was sold to Borden by appellant, it was covered by paint so that the flaws and defects were hidden and concealed from sight, and were wholly unknown to appellee; and that the appellant negligently, carelessly and wrongfully sold said wood saw frame, including said balance wheel, to Borden to be used by. him and his servants, including appellee, upon his farm in sawing wood.

In addition, the second count contained the following allegation: ‘1 That the said balance wheel was made of poor and unsuitable material—contained flaws and defects, and was honey-combed, weak, insecure and unsafe for doing the work for which it was intended and made, and for the purpose for which it was sold by appellant to Borden, and that it was likely to explode and burst when used for such purpose, was then and there known to appellant, or would-have been known had it exercised due care in that behalf.”

The fourth count contained the additional averment that the saw was made by a financially irresponsible and insolvent person, firm or corporation, whose name was unknown to appellee, and that said person, firm or corporation was guilty of negligence and carelessness in the manufacture of the balance wheel, and that appellant purchased said wood saw from said person, firm or corporation, and represented that it was made of good material and of the best construction, knowing that said manufacturer was financially irresponsible and insolvent.

Appellant pleaded the general issue, together with notice that it would introduce evidence that it did not manufacture the wood saw, or any part thereof. At - the close of the testimony, appellant made separate motions, accompanied with appropriate instructions, directing the jury to find the appellant not guilty under the first, second, third and fourth counts, respectively, each of which said motions were denied, and the instructions tendered therewith refused.

At the trial appellant submitted two special interrogatories, and requested the court to submit each of them to the jury, viz:

1. Was the defendant the manufacturer of the balance wheel in question?

2. Did the defendant know at any time before the accident of any defect in the balance wheel?

These the court declined to submit, stating that he did not think that either of them related to an ultimate fact in the case. No instructions were tendered by appellee, but, upon motion of appellant, the court gave to the jury sixteen instructions, numbered 1, 4, 7, 9,11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24 and 25; the court then modified and gave nine additional instructions tendered by appellant, numbered 2, 3, 5, 6, 8,10, 13, 21 and 23; and refused instructions numbered 26 to 34, inclusive, tendered by it.

Various grounds of alleged error are assigned and argued in the voluminous briefs of counsel in the case. It is contended that the court erred in refusing to submit to the jury the special interrogatories; that the verdict was grossly excessive; that the court erred in its rulings upon evidence, and in modifying certain instructions, and refusing others, tendered by appellant; that improper remarks were made during the trial by counsel for appellee, and broadly that the pleadings and proofs were entirely insufficient to establish any liability against appellant.

It is strongly urged by appellant that the court below committed reversible error in refusing to submit to the jury the two interrogatories which it tendered.

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Bluebook (online)
171 Ill. App. 355, 1912 Ill. App. LEXIS 651, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davidson-v-montgomery-ward-co-illappct-1912.