Duffy v. St. Louis Transit Co.

78 S.W. 831, 104 Mo. App. 235, 1904 Mo. App. LEXIS 474
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 2, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 78 S.W. 831 (Duffy v. St. Louis Transit Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Duffy v. St. Louis Transit Co., 78 S.W. 831, 104 Mo. App. 235, 1904 Mo. App. LEXIS 474 (Mo. Ct. App. 1904).

Opinion

BLAND, P. J.

After alleging that plaintiff was a passenger on one of defendant’s street railway cars and the contract to carry him to his place of destination, (Clara and Easton avenues, in the city of St. Louis) and [237]*237the duty to stop the car a reasonable length of time to let plaintiff off, the petition proceeds as follows:'

“Yet the plaintiff avers that the defendant, unmindful of its said undertaking and of its duty in the premises, did by its servants in charge of its said car, carry the plaintiff past his said point of destination, and thereafter, to-wit: As said car was approaching the intersection of Easton and Goodfellow avenues, at the request of plaintiff, did slow down said car until it was stopped or moving very slowly at or near said Goodfellow avenue and Easton avenue in the city of St. Louis, and invited the plaintiff to alight from said car whilst so stopped or slowed down.
“That the plaintiff in obedience to such invitation to alight from said ear whilst so stopped or slowed down, proceeded to the platform and step of said car to alight therefrom, and was proceeding to alight from said car, and whilst he was in the act of doing so, and before he had a reasonable time or opportunity to do so, defendant’s servants in charge of its said car negligently caused and suffered said ear to be started forward, whereby the plaintiff was thrown from said car to the street and dragged and greatly and permanently injured upon his body and legs and internally, sustaining a fracture of the bones of his right foot and ankle and bruises upon his body and arms and his leg and knee.”

Plaintiff testified that he was a passenger on one of defendant’s Easton avenue cars and that his destination was Clara and Easton avenues. He further testified as follows:

“ Q. Why was it that you did not get off at Clara that night? A. Through a mistake of mine.
“Q. Through a mistake of what? A. My own mistake.
“ Q. Now, after you passed Clara, and ascertained that you had passed Clara, tell the jury what you did to indicate that you wanted to get off the car and where? [238]*238A. I got off the car at Goodfellow avenue; about twenty-five yards west of Goodfellow avenue, when we went by this side of Rinkle’s Grove. That is how I seen I was too far ahead.
‘ ‘ Q. When you found out you had passed your point of destination, tell the jury what you did! Tell the jury what you did to indicate to the motorman or conductor you wanted to get off the car! A. When I seen this I shoved down to ring the bell for the car to stop at Goodfellow avenue. He was in the front part of the car, standing sidewise, some transfers in his hand counting them. Pie changed thé transfers to one hand from the other, put up his left hand to the bell; as he did that I walked out, the car was going below speed as it approached; I stepped out and fell. There was not out there any houses the south side until you get to Blackstone avenue, the nearest building. A few houses on the north side.
‘ ‘ Q. When you walked out what did the car do' towards slowing down or stopping! A. She slowed down until about twenty-five yards, maybe thirty, a little less, or more, west of Goodfellow avenue.
“Q. Bid it come toa full stop! A. No, sir; it did not.
‘ ‘ Q. Plow was it moving, how slow, at the time you got on the step as you were about to step off! A. About an ordinary walk would keep up with it.
“Q. An ordinary walk! A. About an ordinary walk.
“Q. When you stepped off the car, tell the jury what occurred; what did the ear do! A. Well, in some way, I believe that the brake didn’t work on the car; he started the car too sudden on me. I had my foot up as the car slowed up, I was preparing the other foot to get it up, ready to get off the car. . The car started off in that position. ■ I had hold of the handrail with my left hand; I made a grab with my right hand to catch the rail, missed it and it turned me out on the street, dragged [239]*239four paces, maybe five paces.
‘ ‘ Q. When you say the car started up how did it start, fast or slow? A. Started with a jerk, started with a jerk, fast, started with a twist, turning on a twisting sensation.
* £ Q. What did the car do after it threw you off; did it go on? A. Went ahead.
“Q. Did it stop at all? A. No, sir; no, sir; it did not.
££Q. Now, how were you holding, describe that to the jury; what was your position when this jerk of the car took place, and the car went on? A. Standing up like this (indicating); 1 had my foot there ready to get off the car this way (indicating), hold of the left rail with my left hand.
££Q. When this jerk came what effect did it have on you, explain to the jury; did you remain on the step or were you thrown off the step? A. I was forced off.
£ £ Q. Did you fall a clean fall or were you dragged ? A. I was dragged about four paces; the second time that it jerked the car jerked clean away from me; turned me over in the street. ’ ’

He admitted that the car passed Clara avenue without stopping, through his mistake in failing to give a signal for it to stop. His testimony shows that he attempted to get off after the car had passed Goodfellow avenue, from twenty-five to thirty yards, and that it was running at a speed of about on ordinary walk for a man; that the accident happened at night. He nowhere stated that the signal was given by him to stop the car at any other point than at Goodfellow avenue, and does not state as a matter of fact, that any signal was given for the car to stop at Goodfellow avenue, .however, it is inferable from his testimony that after he pressed the electric button, the conductor gave the motorman the signal to stop before reaching Goodfellow avenue. There is no evidence that the bell was given [240]*240for the motorman to go ahead, after reaching Goodfellow avenue. The plaintiff said he believed the brake did not work, and that the car was started too suddenly on him by the motorman. On this evidence, it is in-sisted by defendant that plaintiff’s own evidence shows that there was no negligence on the part of defendant’s servants that contributed to plaintiff’s injury, and that its instruction for a compulsory nonsuit should have been given. On the question of whether or not there should have been a compulsory nonsuit, the evidence should be considered in its most favorable aspect for the plaintiff. Considering all of it that bears upon the accident, about this state of facts is shown to sxist: Plaintiff, without noticing, let the car pass Clara avenue and then gave the usual warning of his desire to get off at the next street (Goodfellow avenue).

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Bluebook (online)
78 S.W. 831, 104 Mo. App. 235, 1904 Mo. App. LEXIS 474, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/duffy-v-st-louis-transit-co-moctapp-1904.