Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad v. Hagblad

101 N.W. 1033, 72 Neb. 773, 1904 Neb. LEXIS 289
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 7, 1904
DocketNo. 13,623
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 101 N.W. 1033 (Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad v. Hagblad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad v. Hagblad, 101 N.W. 1033, 72 Neb. 773, 1904 Neb. LEXIS 289 (Neb. 1904).

Opinions

Letton, C.

This action was brought by Axsel ITagblad, defendant in error, hereinafter styled the plaintiff', against the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad Company, plaintiff in error, hereinafter styled the defendant. Judgment was rendered for the plaintiff below, and the defendant below brings error to this court. The sole error as[775]*775signed is that the trial court erred in overruling the defendant’s motion for a judgment on the pleading non obstante veredicto. The defendant, by a general demurrer, by seasonable objection to the introduction of evidence upon that ground, by motion for an instruction, and by motion for judgment non obstante' veredicto, at (‘very stage of the case challeneged the sufficiency of the allegations of the petition to state a cause of action against the defendant. The parts of the petition which are necessary to be set forth, in order to state the question involved, are as follows :

“1. The plaintiff for cause of action alleges that the defendant is a corporation duly organized under the laws of the state of Nebraska, and has been such corporation for ten years last past; that the defendant is a corporation engaged in the railroad business, and for ten years last past it has been a common carrier of passengers for hire upon its railroad, and has owned and operated a line of railroad in the counties of Madison, Antelope and Holt in the state of Nebraska; that Norfolk and Meadow Grove are stations upon the defendant’s line of railroad in Madison county where it receives and delivers passengers on and from its trains, and that the defendant on the 28 th day of December, 1902, was a common carrier carrying passengers from Norfolk to Meadow Grove, and that the station at Norfolk where such passengers are received is commonly known as Norfolk Junction.
“2. That on the 28th day of December, 1902, the plaintiff purchased from the defendant at Norfolk, Nebraska, a ticket entitling him to a safe passage on the defendant’s train from Norfolk to Meadow Grove, and insuring him against injury while a passenger on said train and while a passenger on the defendant’s premises at Norfolk; that while plaintiff was standing on the defendant’s station platform at Norfolk on the evening of said day, and after he had purchased and paid the defendant, for said ticket, and while he was a passenger on the defendant’s promises, and while he was waiting for the arrival of the defendant’s [776]*776train which was to carry him from Norfolk to Meadow Grove, he Aims struck by an engine and cars run and operated upon the defendant’s railroad track at Norfolk, and Avhich train Avas under the direction and Avith the knoAvledg-e, approval and consent of the defendant. That by being struck by said engine and said cars the plaintiff Aims throAvn down, mangled, bruised and injured, and sustained the following injuries.”

It will be observed that the petition does not allege that any act was negligently done. If the action had been brought against an individual for damages occasioned by his negligence AA'hich resulted in the injuries complained of, it Avould be essential to allege that the injuries Avere occasioned by the negligence of the defendant, either by setting forth facts AA'hich Avould constitute negligence as a matter of law, or' by pleading generally that the defendant was negligent in performing or omitting to perform the acts complained of as constituting negligence. Omaha & R. V. R. Co. v. Wright, 49 Neb. 456. The allegations of the petition under consideration do not set forth that the act by AA'hich the plaintiff Avas injured was done negligently, and no fact is alleged AA'hich constitutes negligence1 as a matter of laAv under the common law, nor by statute unless the plaintiff was one of a class embraced under the provisions of section 3, article I, chapter 72, Compiled Statutes, 1903 (Annotated Statutes, 10039), relating to injuries to persons AA'hile being transported over railroads in this state. Since the petition was assailed at every stage in the progress of the cause, the pleader will be presumed to have stated his case as fairly to himself as the facts AA'ill Avarrant, and the familiar rule applied that the allegations in the petition and all presumptions arising therefrom will be construed against the pleader, and no presumptions in his favor indulged in. Having these rules in mind, therefore, it will be observed that the only allegations of the petition AA'hich sIioav the manner, in AA'hich the plaintiff AA'as injured are that, AA'hile plaintiff Avas standing on defendant’s station platform at [777]*777Norfolk on the evening of December 28, 1902, he was struck by an engine and cars run and operated upon the defendant’s railroad track, which train was run under the direction and with the knowledge, approval and consent of the defendant. That, by being struck by said engine and cars, the plaintiff was injured. Taking these allegations alone, without the aid of any presumptions, they appear to be somewhat inconsistent. The plaintiff, while standing on the platform, was struck by the engine and cars operated upon the track. The plaintiff stood presumably upon a safe and properly constructed platform, the engine and cars were presumably properly constructed and properly operated, and the track was presumably in good condition for the purpose of its construction. If we accept these, facts as true, then, unless the plaintiff was so situated at the time of the accident that, though he was standing upon the platform, his body projected over the track in such manner that properly constructed and operated engine and cars might strike him, no injury could result. This being the case, the inference must be drawn that, presuming that the defendant was operating its trains with due care and caution, the plaintiff placed himself in a position that common knowledge would show to be one of danger. We conclude therefore that the petition fails to disclose any facts which constitute negligence on the part of the defendant as a matter of law irrespective of the statute, and does not state a cause of action if based upon a common law liability of the. defendant.

The plaintiff contends that the petition states a good cause of action upon three grounds: First, it states a breach of contract to safely convey the plaintiff from the point where he purchased the ticket to the point of destination; second, it states a cause of action under the statute hereinbefore alluded to; third, it states a cause of action on the ground of negligence, by stating facts which as a matter of law constitute negligence on the part of the defendant.

[778]*778As to the first contention, we think it clear that this petition is not based upon contract. No promise and no consideration therefor have been alleged. The petition alleges that the plaintiff purchased a ticket. While it is true that a railroad ticket is evidence of a contract between the carrier and the purchaser thereof, still the plea that the plaintiff purchased a ticket for a passage from Norfolk to Meadow Grove, without alleging that the defendant agreed to carry him between these points in consideration of the sum paid, and alleging further a breach of the contract, does not set forth an action ex contractu. 15 Ency. Pl. & Pr., p. 1125, and notes.

“There is a class of cases arising out of contract, where, by reason of the contract, the law raise',s a duty, for the breach of which duty an action on the case may be maintained ; and in such cases the contract, being the basis and gravamen of the suit, must be alleged and proved.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
101 N.W. 1033, 72 Neb. 773, 1904 Neb. LEXIS 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fremont-elkhorn-missouri-valley-railroad-v-hagblad-neb-1904.