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

6 S.W.2d 432, 1928 Tex. App. LEXIS 484
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 15, 1928
DocketNo. 9102.
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 6 S.W.2d 432 (Galveston, H. & S. A. Ry. Co. v. Mallott) 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. Mallott, 6 S.W.2d 432, 1928 Tex. App. LEXIS 484 (Tex. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

LANE, J.

S. C. Mallott brought this suit against the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company to recover a total sum of $42,800 for damages which he alleged he suffered by reason of personal injuries inflicted through negligent acts of the defendant. The items were as follows: $25,000 for injuries from which he suffered great pain, and by reason of which he was ¡iisfigured and crip-, pled for life; $2,000 for loss of ten months’ time; $2,500 for doctors’, nurses’, hospital, and medical bills; $10,000 for destruction of his capacity to increase his present earning ability; and $3,800 for the benefit of the Lumberman’s Reciprocal Association.

He alleged that at the time of his injuries he was an employee of the Burkhart Laundry & Dye Works, a subscriber under the Workmen’s Compensation Act of the state of Texas (Vernon’s Ann. Civ. St. 1925, arts. 8306-8309), which held a policy issued to it by the Lumberman’s Reciprocal Association whereby said association indemnified said laundry works against loss by reason of injuries which might be suffered by its employees; that since said injuries certain bills, necessarily incurred by reason of his injuries, were paid by said association in the sum of $3,300. He prayed for judgment for his damages and for $3,300 for-the use and benefit of the association..

The acts of negligence alleged were as follows:

“(1) That the defendant railroad company violated the city ordinances of the city of Magnolia Park by running ^its trains through the city of Magnolia Park over Canal street in excess of 12 miles per hour.
“(2) In operating said locomotive and train through a thickly settled portion of the city of Magnolia Park, and over and across said street intersection, at the high, dangerous, unlawful, and excessive rate of speed of 30 miles or more per -hour.
“(3) In failing to slacken said speed and slow down said train as the same approached said crossing and intersection so as to have said engine and train under control, that same could have been quickly and instantly stopped upon discovering one attempting to cross said street.
“(4) In permitting its right of way fence immediately to plaintiff’s right, as he approached said crossing, to become matted and covered with vines, shrubbery and weeds, so as to obstruct plaintiff’s view of the approaching train.
“(5) In failing to continuously ring the bell of the locomotive of said train as the same passed through the city of Magnolia Park and ' as it approached said crossing.
“(6) In failing to sound the whistle on the locomotive of said train for a distance of 80 rods before said train approached and crossed over said crossing.
“(7) In failing, in-view of the frequent use of said Canal street, to maintain a flagman or provide some signal device at said crossing so as to warn people of the appro'aching train.
“(8) That the operators of the train, including the engineer and fireman, after the peril of the plaintiff was discovered, failed to exercise ordinary care to stop or slacken the speed of said train and prevent the accident.
# * * * *
“That defendant had permitted its right of way fence, extending up to the cattle guard near said crossing and between the crossing and Canal street, to become matted and covered with vines, shrubbery, and weeds which extended several feet high, so that, after he had passed the other obstructions to his right, as above alleged, his view in the direction of the on-coming train was obstructed by the fence, fence posts, vines, shrubbery, and weeds, which defendant had permitted to grow upon and mat and cover same.”

The defendant answered by general demurrer, general denial, and specially pleaded that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence, in that he was running his truck at an excessive rate of speed, in violation of the state statute, that, as he approached said crossing, he did not look or listen for an approaching train at a place where the train could have been seen, and that the view of the plaintiff was unobstructed at a distance of more than 60 feet from the crossing.

In answer to special issues, the jury found that defendant was guilty of all the acts of negligence alleged by the plaintiff, and that each of such acts of negligence was the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. They found in favor of defendant upon the issue of discovered peril, that the plaintiff was not guilty of contributory negligence, and that he suffered by reason of his injuries damages in the total sum of $29.,780.00, if paid now.

Upon the verdict of the jury judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff for the sum of $29,7S0, which was to include the sum of $3,300 recovered for the benefit of the Lumberman’s Reciprocal Association.

Defendant in due time filed and presented its motion for a new trial, and among other things complained of the verdict and judgment as being excessive.

Upon hearing of the motion for new trial, it was agreed by counsel that the jury arrived at their verdict, as to the sum awarded as damages, in the following manner, as stated by them:

“(1) We allowed the plaintiff the sum of $2,-000 damages for time lost.
“(2) We allowed the plaintiff the sum of $3,-300 for damages for medical and hospital bills.
“(3) That the life expectancy of the plaintiff *435 was 34 years; that the plaintiff’s earning capacity was impaired and diminished at the rate of $60 per -month, making a total of $750 per year; that $750 a year multiplied by 34 amounts to $24,480; that this added to the amount of $5,300 makes $29,780.
“While we made no separate allowance for his mental anguish, pain, and suffering, as such, we had it in mind, and, when we totaled the findings and the amount thereof, it was decided same was sufficient to cover lost time, expenses, his diminished earning capacity, and his mental anguish, pain, and suffering.”

After the close of the evidence upon the motion, the court announced to counsel for the plaintiff that, unless a remittitur of $9,780 was filed, he would grant the motion for a new trial; whereupon, such remittitur was filed, the motion overruled, and judgment was rendered for the plaintiff for $20,000 only. The defendant has appealed.

At the time the accident involved in this suit occurred, the city of Magnolia Park had in force and effect an ordinance making it a penal offense for any person to permit or suffer any locomotive or engine to run within its limits at a greater rate of speed than 12 miles per hour. The crossing at which the accident occurred was in said city. After the accident, and before the trial of the cause, Magnolia Park dissolved its charter, and the territory formerly composing it became a part of the city of Houston, and was a part of said city at the time of the trial of this cause. There ivas testimony showing that the train which caused the plaintiff’s injuries was, at such time, running at a rate of speed in excess- of 12 miles per hour, in violation of said ordinance.

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Bluebook (online)
6 S.W.2d 432, 1928 Tex. App. LEXIS 484, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/galveston-h-s-a-ry-co-v-mallott-texapp-1928.