Elliott v. Payne

239 S.W. 851, 293 Mo. 581, 23 A.L.R. 706, 1922 Mo. LEXIS 45
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedApril 8, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 239 S.W. 851 (Elliott v. Payne) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elliott v. Payne, 239 S.W. 851, 293 Mo. 581, 23 A.L.R. 706, 1922 Mo. LEXIS 45 (Mo. 1922).

Opinion

GEAVES, J.

— Action by the administrator of Earl D. Elliott, deceased, who was killed by being run over by a train of the Missouri Pacific Eailroad at Green Leaf, Kansas. As originally brought this suit was against the railroad and Walker D. Hines, Director General of Eailroads. Later it was dismissed as to the railroad company, and continued as against John Barton Payne, Agent for the President, under the Transportation Act of 1920. The action is one under the Federal Employers ’ Liability Act. Elliott was a fireman on an interstate commerce passenger train of the Missouri Pacific Eailroad Company. There is no question as to the action being properly brought under the Federal act, supra, if as a fact the deceased, at the moment of his injury, was in the performance of his duties as fireman upon such train. Of the latter fact question is made by the defendant.

Deceased undertook to alight from his moving train ’ at the depot platform of the said railroad at Green Leaf. In so doing he fell or was dragged under the train and killed. A negligent construction of this platform is thus stated in the petition:

“That in and about the depot building at said Green Leaf defendant maintained a platform that extended from said depot building to the tracks of the defendant upon which said train was traveling, and that the surface of said platform was maintained in a rough, low and uneven condition with an incline towards said tracks, and that by reason of the edge of said platform being raised above the surface thereof and because of said condition said platform was dangerous for its employees to use the same, and was likely to and did accumulate water, snow and ice in such a way that said water, snow and ice could not flow off from said platform and over said edge, *586 but that by reason of said edge of said platform being higher than the surface of said platform and by reason of said condition said platform was dangerous and not. reasonably safe for the employees of the defendant to use the same.”

Plaintiff then avers that by reason of said faulty construction of this platform snow and ice did accumulate thereon, and especially near the outer edge of said platform, so that at this edge and near the point where one would step in alighting .from an engine, there was “a ridge of said ice and snow, . . . presenting a surface slick, rough, uneven, full of ridges, and sloping toward said railroad tracks,” of all of which the defendant had knowledge for .such length of time as to have removed and remedied the same before the accident. Deceased left a widow and one child, for whose benefit this action is brought. The modest sum of $100,000 damages is asked, and the jury returned a verdict for '$30,000. By forced remittitur this was reduced to $25,000 and from a judgment for that sum the defendant’s appeal is taken.

By answer, Payne first admits his official capacity, and denies all, other allegations of the petition. Further portions of the answer aver, (1) that Elliott was not engaged in the business conducted by Walker D. Hines, as Director General of Railroads, at the time of his death, December 13th, 1919; (2) that Elliott was guilty of contributory negligence; (3) that the injuries to Elliott were the result of the risks ordinarily incident to the business in which Elliott was engaged; (4) that the deceased was not a resident of Missouri, and had no property in Missouri, but was a resident of Kansas, and that in the appointment of the administrator, now suing, fraud was practiced upon the Probate Court of Buchanan County, Missouri, and (5) the pendency of a proceeding in such probate court to revoke the appointment of such administrator. Reply was a general denial. Details of the evidence will be left to the opinion, as such evidence may be applicable to the several points made. Such is the outline of the case.

*587 Assignments I. The outline of the answer, which we have given in the statement, would indicate some questions which evidently have been abandoned by the defen da nt. The assignment of errors proper, as found in the_brief, covers but three matters, as follows:

“The court erred in overruling defendant’s instruction in the nature of a demurrer.
“The court erred in giving plaintiff’s instruction number one.
“The court erred in giving plaintiff’s instruction number five. ”

In the fourth point in the brief it is urged that the verdict is grossly excessive. These four matters and the natural subdivisions therof constitute the questions for decision. As to whether a demurrer to the evidence should have been sustained, three things are to be considered: (1) was there actionable negligence shown as against- the defendant, (2) was deceased in the line of his duty at the time of the accident, and (3) did he assume the risk, as such risk is defined by the Federal courts in the construction of the Federal Employers’ Liabilities Act? In view of the whole situation the vital question is that of liability or no liability. We shall therefore take these alleged errors in their order, because if the record shows no liability, further questions become immaterial.

Fireman: Injury-on Platform: Not Included in Federal Act. II. The train was going west, and as it approached the station of Green Leaf the deceased stepped from his engine on to the eastern end of the depot platform, as testified to by plaintiff’s witnesses. This platform was of considerable length (200 feet) and extended for some distance both to the east and west of the depot proper. It was constructed of brick placed side by side, with a sand filling between them, as we gather it. Around the outer edges was a concrete curbing. At places the top of this curbing was flush with the top of the brick. At least at some places the top of the bricks was lower than the curbing. At those places *588 narrow strips of water would accumulate and freeze. The platform sloped slightly toward this curb, which curb was near the first rail of the railroad tracks. It was ice formed in this way that occasioned the injury, as it is alleged.

As said this .is an action under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. The first act (1906) was declared unconstitutional, and the present amended law has for its basis the Act of 1908. The difference between the two acts may have occasioned some rulings in the lower Federal courts, and State courts, which would not be strictly applicable now. The Act of 1906, as to acts for which damages may be recovered, provided:

“For all damages'which may result from the negligence of any of its officers, agents, or employees, or by reason of any defect or insufficiency due to its negligence, in its cars, engines, appliances, machinery, track, roadbed, ways or works.”

The Act of 1908, as to the same subject provides:

“For such injury or death resulting in whole or in part from the negligence of any of the officers, agents or employees of such carrier, or by reason of any defect or insufficiency due to its negligence, in its cars, engines, appliances, machinery, track, road-bed, works, boats, wharves, or other equipment.”

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Bluebook (online)
239 S.W. 851, 293 Mo. 581, 23 A.L.R. 706, 1922 Mo. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elliott-v-payne-mo-1922.