Davis v. Kornman

141 Ala. 479
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedNovember 15, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 141 Ala. 479 (Davis v. Kornman) 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
Davis v. Kornman, 141 Ala. 479 (Ala. 1904).

Opinion

HARALSON, J.

The plaintiff, William Komman, brought suit against the defendant, Matt L. Davis, to [487]*487recover damages for a personal injury received by 1dm while in tlie employment of defendant. Before the submission of the cause to the jury he requestd that it be ■ submitted to be tried alone on the second count in the complaint, abandoning all the other counts which Avas done. The second count and issue joined thereon, constitute the pleadings. The count alleged in substance, that on the 14th of June, 1902, the defendant Avas operating a planer mill in manufacturing lumber, and plaintiff and others were employed as hands to operate said mill, under one D. B. Taylor, Aylio was engaged as foreman, entrusted by defendant Avith superintendence of the operation of said planer and of the plaintiff and other hands; that the plaintiff Avas injured by certain belt studs Avhieli broke out of the belt used in running and operating the plainer, and struck the plaintiff inflicting on him physical, injuries, caused by reason of the-negligence of said foreman while in the exercise of such superintendence.

It Avas shoAvn, Avithout conflict in evidence, that plaintiff Avas employed at the time in the defendant’s.mill as an assistant to the feeder at a planing machine, the belt of which revolved very rapidly over two pullies about flve feet apart, and on the day of the accident, the feed-way of the machine became choked, and the feeder stepped one side for the purpose of unchoking it. The eyi-dence further tended to sIioav, that the plaintiff stepped up from behind the feeder some tvvo feet to the feeder’s place, to assist in getting the: machine unchoked, when the belt broke or the bolt or brads of the belt fleAv out and struck him; that the ends of the belt AATere fastened together by Blake belt studs, and the injury Avas caused by the studs Avhich flew out and struck him, or lie was injured by the end of the belt striking him.

There aauis dispute in the evidence as to whether the Blake belt studs were dangerous on account of their liability to fly out of the belt Avhen it broke, and as to Avliether they Avere the best appliances for fastening the ends of the belt. It Avas also in dispute as to whether there ought to be protecting boards so adjusted to' the machine as to prevent the studs, Avhen they break and [488]*488fly out from striking the feeder and his assistant. The evidence tended to show that these protections were not attached to the machine when constructed, but when found, were put on by those who operated the machine. It was also further shown, that other persons besides plaintiff, had been injured in a similar manner, and that after his injury these, protecting boards were put up.

While witnesses for the plaintiff were being examined, the plaintiff asked one of them, “Was plaintiff an industrious man or not?” “During that year, had he been idling his time away, or had he been working and industrious?” “While the plaintiff was working at the planer mill, did you know whether he worked steady?” Each of these questions was objected to, because it called for irrelevant and immaterial evidence. To the first question the witness replied, that he seemd to be an industrious man at the time he worked there, that he worked pretty steady, .getting $1.25 a day.

To the second question, the reply was made, that when plaintiff could get work, he did it; he did not seem to be a lazy man, and to the third, the witness replied that the plaintiff was not very stout or able bodied to do heavy work, hut was always trying to go ahead at something.

These questions and answers were improper. When the accident results in death it may be material to show the habits of the deceased for industry, for the purpose of throwing light on the injury as to what he might have earned for those entitled to his estate; but the question here, was not what the next of kin lost, the injured party not having been killed, but what he himself lost in consequence of the injuries sustained, and whether he was industrious or not; whether he was habitually an industrious man or not, and whether or not he had been industrious during the year of the accident, were inquiries immaterial to the injuries sustained, the only effect of which was to create sympathy for plaintiff and to improperly magnify his damages. — L. & N. R. Co. v. Woods, 115 Ala. 527.

[489]*489II. Crabtree for plaintiff, testifying about this particular belt, stated that it had been running for a few days previous to the time it broke and struck plaintiff; that belts fastened in the same manner sometimes broke, and he had known the studs to fly out when the belt broke and for one or two of them to strike persons. The plaintiff enquired, “Who was it that was hit in this way?” An objection being overruled, the witness stated, “Hubert Baker got hit on the leg, and Charles Malachi was struck in the eye.”

The witness P. Crabtree stated that he worked in the mill, and was told that the belt that injured plaintiff was the one on the* smallest machine. The plaintiff then a deed him, “How far off from the belt were you when you got hurt?” He replied that he did not know, but was standing back of the machine, and handing up lumber to feed it. The plaintiff objected to; the question as calling for irrelevant and immaterial matter. The witness' stated that that was the same machine that he had heard of, in connection with plaintiff’s injury. He was then asked by plaintiff, “Now what happened?” He replied that the belt broke and one of the rivets flew out and struck him on the thigh and hurt him, going through his pants and sticking in his flesh. To this question the defendant objected on the same grounds. The plaintiff then asked, “Did Mr. Taylor know of that?” and he replied that he saw it.

There was- no error in allowing these questions. Their object was, to show that the machine was liable to injure persons standing near while operating it, and in the position the plaintiff was, when injured; and that it was negligence in Mr. Taylor, the superintendent, in charge of the machine and its operation, if he did not provide against these damages, particularly if he knew about them.

For the same purpose and reason, a similar question asked the witness, Smith, was proper. He was also asked, “Are there any bruises, or scars or anything on your leg,” and he replied, “Yes there is a little place there.” This question was objected to as being irrelevant and immaterial. He further stated that it was [490]*490the end. of the belt that struck him, and he did not think any of the rivets hit him, and said, “When it broke it slapped me and knocked my pants off,” and I had on a lace shoe, and it tore the lacing off,” and that he would ncd say that any of the rivrets struck him. Whether stricken by the belt or by the metal rivets, could make no difference in the admissibility of the evidence, as tending to- show the character of the machine, and the damages attending its operation, bearing on the question of the negligence of the superintendent in operating it.

Referring to boards- put up around the machine to protect the workmen from flying belt or studs, a witness for plaintiff was asked, “Is there any protection there,, to protect you from those flying studs, put there since the accident?” Both questions were objected to, as calling for irrelevant and immaterial matter, which objections were overruled.

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Bluebook (online)
141 Ala. 479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-kornman-ala-1904.