Gaulden v. Burlington Northern, Inc.

654 P.2d 383, 232 Kan. 205, 1982 Kan. LEXIS 350
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedDecember 3, 1982
Docket53,327
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 654 P.2d 383 (Gaulden v. Burlington Northern, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gaulden v. Burlington Northern, Inc., 654 P.2d 383, 232 Kan. 205, 1982 Kan. LEXIS 350 (kan 1982).

Opinions

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Miller, J.:

This is an appeal by the defendant, Burlington Northern, Inc. (the railroad), successor to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company (Frisco), from a judgment for $750,000 entered against it and in favor of the plaintiff, Sylvester Gaulden, following a jury trial in Sedgwick District Court. Gaul-den, a former Frisco employee, brought the action to recover damages for personal injuries against the railroad under the provisions of the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, 45 U.S.C.A. § 51 et seq. (FELA), and against defendant Jack James, the driver of a pickup truck involved in a crossing accident, alleging that the joint negligence of the defendants caused him injury. The primary issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred in failing to submit-the issue of James’ negligence to the jury.

Gaulden was employed as a brakeman on November 22, 1979. The accident occurred while the train was pushing eleven freight cars over the State Street crossing in Augusta, Kansas, in a switching operation. Plaintiff was riding on the north side of the front end of the lead tank car as it approached the crossing. The train was moving at a speed of approximately three to four miles per hour. It passed over a switch some 575 feet west of the crossing, which activated eight flashing lights on each side of the crossing, and a warning bell. Gaulden, carrying a signal lantern and a walkie-talkie radio pack, was preparing to flag the crossing as is required by transportation department rules, and as was his duty. Plaintiff saw the James pickup truck approaching the crossing from the north, and he started to step off of the train in order to flag the crossing. The truck slowed down and paused or stopped; Gaulden stepped back on the tank car, and as he did so, [207]*207he heard the truck accelerate. James apparently decided to try to beat the train and started through the crossing. Gaulden called out a warning to the engineer over his radio, and immediately jumped clear in order to avoid being struck by the truck. The tank car collided with the right rear quarter of the pickup. When Gaulden jumped to the pavement, he injured his right knee; it has become progressively worse. He has been hospitalized six times, and has been unable to work.

Plaintiff filed this action on March 27, 1980, against both the railroad and against James. James answered, denied negligence, and alleged that the railroad’s negligence was the sole cause of the collision. The railroad denied negligence, claimed that the plaintiff was contributorily negligent, and that James’ negligence was the direct cause of the collision. The railroad also asserted a cross-claim against James, claiming over against him and contending that he was liable to the railroad for any sum which the employee might be awarded against the railroad in this action.

On October 27, 1980, plaintiff settled his claims against James for $50,000, and executed a Release and Indemnification Agreement. The terms of that document are somewhat unusual, and are tailored to the concept of comparative negligence. In order to place the discussion that follows in proper perspective, we set out the principal portions of that document. It reads:

“Now, Therefore, I, the undersigned, Sylvester Gaulden, for myself, my heirs, administrators, executors, successors and assigns, for and in consideration of the payment of the total amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), by Farmers Insurance Company, Inc. on behalf of Jack A. James, to the undersigned, the receipt of which amount is hereby acknowledged, and other good and valuable consideration, do hereby release, remise and forever discharge the following named persons, corporations and firms, and their respective officers, agents, employees, successors, and insurers, and each of them, and only such persons, corporations and firms, to-wit: Jack A. James and Farmers Insurance Company, Inc., of and from any and all claims, demands, rights or causes of action of whatsoever kind or nature which the undersigned has ever had or may now have or may hereafter have, whether now known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, arising from or by reason of or in any way connected with, any injuries, losses, damages, disability, suffering, property damages or loss, or the results thereof, which heretofore has been or hereafter may be sustained by the undersigned as a result of or in connection with or arising out of that certain accident which occurred on or about the 22nd day of November, 1979, at the intersection of Sixth Street and the railway tracks in Augusta, Butler County, Kansas.
“It has been represented by the undersigned that the injuries sustained and the suffering and damages resulting therefrom by the undersigned have persisted and [208]*208that recovery therefrom is uncertain and indefinite, and in making this release and agreement it is understood and agreed that the undersigned relies on the undersigned’s own beliefs and knowledge, and that of the physician and attorneys of the undersigned, as to the nature, extent and duration of the symptoms and injuries.
“The settlement and release made and effected hereby is a compromise settlement of the undersigned with Jack A. James and Farmers Insurance Company, Inc. (hereinafter called 'the settling parties’) and neither this release nor the payments made pursuant thereto shall be construed as an admission of liability of any of said settling parties, the same being denied. The total claims for damages of the undersigned amount to more than the amount of the aforesaid consideration of $50,000.00 paid and credited to the undersigned herewith by the settling parties being released hereunder, and the undersigned, knowing that the settling parties released hereunder and herein are not paying the total of the undersigned’s full claim of damages as would be paid if all defendants and interpleaded defendants in said pending action, including Jack A. James, were settling said action and all claims for damages of the undersigned therein, does hereby credit and satisfy that portion of the total amount of damages of the undersigned which the undersigned has suffered and will suffer because of the aforesaid accident which has been caused by the negligence, if any, of such of the settling parties hereto as may hereafter be determined to be the case in the further trial or other disposition of this or any other action, it being the act and intention of the undersigned to release and discharge, and he does hereby release and discharge that fraction and portion and percentage of his total causes of action and claim for damages against all parties in said Case No. 80 C 741 pending in the District Court of Sedgwick County, Kansas, which shall hereafter, by the further trial or other disposition of this or any other action, be determined to be the sum of portions or fractions or percentages of causal negligence for which any or all of the settling parties hereto are found to be liable and responsible in causing said accident with respect to any finding of damages or recovery made by or for said Sylvester Gaulden; and the undersigned does hereby reserve, save, maintain and preserve against St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company the balance of the whole cause of action of the undersigned against St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company, which balance of said cause of action is not released hereunder. Except as above specified, the undersigned does not release St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company, from any liability for damages and specifically reserves his rights, claims and causes of action, as aforesaid, against St.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
654 P.2d 383, 232 Kan. 205, 1982 Kan. LEXIS 350, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gaulden-v-burlington-northern-inc-kan-1982.