Galveston, H. & S. A. Ry. Co. v. Harling

208 S.W. 207, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 1377
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 18, 1918
DocketNo. 7564. [fn*]
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 208 S.W. 207 (Galveston, H. & S. A. Ry. Co. v. Harling) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Galveston, H. & S. A. Ry. Co. v. Harling, 208 S.W. 207, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 1377 (Tex. Ct. App. 1918).

Opinion

LANE, J.

This suit was brought by W. A. Harling against the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company to recover damages for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by him by reason of the negligence of the defendant company in a collision between an automobile in which he was riding and a passenger train at a point where the tracks of said railway company crossed Second street in the city of Richmond, in Ft. Bend county, Tex., on or about the 8th day of April, 1918.

In plaintiff’s petition it is alleged that the city of Richmond is an incorporated city, and that at the time of said accident there was in full force and effect a city ordinance, making, it unlawful for any railroad engineer, or any other person in charge of a railroad engine, to propel, any such engine or any train through any part of said city at a greater rate of speed than 6 miles per hour; that on said date he was an invited guest, riding in a certain automobile controlled by anoth *208 er; that said automobile was driven by one Epps, a careful and competent driver; that as the automobile in which he was riding as a guest approached and was in the act of crossing the track of the defendant company at the point where Second street in said city of Richmond is intersected by said track, a train thereon, being propelled at a high rate -of speed, struck said automobile with great force, threw the occupants thereof forcibly to the ground, and thereby seriously and permanently injuring plaintiff.

It was further alleged that .the street crossing at which the collision occurred was a much-used crossing, in fact one of the principal crossings in the city of Richmond, which fact was known to the defendant company, its agents, servants, operators, and employés; that said crossing was and is an extrahazardous and dangerous one, which fact was known to defendant, but unknown to the plaintiff at the time of the collision. The petition contained other allegations as follows;

“(1) That said injuries were further proximately caused by the negligence of the defendant, its agents, servant, operatives, and em-ployés, in propelling and running said train at the rapid and dangerous rate of speed at which it was being run and propelled, as herein 'alleged, and in violation of the city ordinances of the city of Richmond, as herein pleaded.
“(2) That said injuries were further proximately caused by the negligence of the defendant, its agents, servants, operatives, and em-ployés, in permitting the air brakes on said train to become and remain out of repair and good working order, as herein pleaded.
“(3) That said injuries were further proximately caused by the negligence of the defendant, its agents, servants, operatives, and em-ployé's, in not keeping a proper lookout to discover persons in a position of danger on said track, as was plaintiff, as herein pleaded. ,
“(4) That said injuries were further proximately caused by the negligence of defendant, its agents, servants, operatives, and employes, in not having a flagman or watchman stationed at said crossing, or a bell, or a block, or other safety device to give warning and notice of the approach of trains, engines, or cars, along said track, as herein pleaded.
“(5) That said negligent acts, alone and acting in conjunction with each other, proximately resulted in said train striking and colliding with the automobile in which this plaintiff was riding, and his consequent injuries therefrom.
“(6) That as the direct and proximate result of the negligence, and the negligent act and acts of the defendant, its agents, servants, operatives, and employés, as herein pleaded, plaintiff has suffered great and serious injuries and damages to his body, health, and mind, and has been compelled to spend largo sums of money for attempted alleviation of his condition, for medical attention and for nursing, and in other respects, and had been caused to lose his capacity to labor and earn money in the future beyond the trial of this ease, and has been caused to endure suffering, great and serious mental and physical pain and anguish, which will, in reasonable probability, continue for the remainder of his I life; and that plaintiff has been caused, by reason of said negligent acts on the part of de- ! fendant, its agents, servants, operatives, and em-ployés, to spend and incur, and will hereafter be caused to expend and incur, liabilities in large sums, for attempted alleviation of his condition, for medical attention, nursing, and in other respects, all of great value, to his damage in the sum of $50,000.”

Defendant, Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company, answered by general denial and by plea of contributory negligence.

The case was submitted to a jury. After properly instructing the jury as to the meaning of the terms “negligence,” “contributory negligence,” and “proximate cause,” as used in the charge, the court submitted certain special issues. Answering these issues, the jury found, among other things not necessary to be here stated, the following:

(1) That the plaintiff, Har-ling, was injured at the time and place, and in the manner substantially as alleged in his petition, and that said injuries are permanent.

(2) That the train of defendant which struck the automobile in which plaintiff was riding was being run at the rate of 18 miles-an hour as it left the bridge and approached the crossing in the city of Richmond at the time of the collision complained of.

(3) That said train was being operated by those in charge of the engine drawing, the same at a dangerous rate of speed to persons-about to use the crossing by way of a public street in the city of Richmond, under the circumstances then existing; that the running of said train at such speed under the-circumstances then existing was negligence,, and that said negligence was a proximate-cause of the plaintiff’s injuries.

(4) That the crossing at which the collision between defendant’s train and the automobile-in which plaintiff was riding was at such-time a much-used public crossing by the public in the city of Richmond, and that the fact that said- crossing was so used was known to-defendant at the time of the collision, and had been so known long prior thereto.

(5) That said crossing at the time of said collision was an extra dangerous and hazardous crossing under the then existing circumstances, and this fact was known to the defendant company and the operatives of its traint.

(6) That the defendant company had no flagman, signal, or any other device at said-crossing to warn persons attempting to cross-its railroad track at said crossing of approaching trains or engines along said track at the time of said collision which resulted in-the plaintiff’s injury, and that such failure to have such flagman, signal, or other device-at said crossing was negligence as defined in the court’s charge, and was a proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries.

*209 (7) That at the time of the collision plaintiff, Harling, was an invited guest in said au-tomooile.

(8) That the driver of the automobile, Laurence Epps, was not guilty of negligence in driving said automobile on the railway track under the circumstances then existing.

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Bluebook (online)
208 S.W. 207, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 1377, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/galveston-h-s-a-ry-co-v-harling-texapp-1918.