Goss Exr. v. Ky. Refining Co.

125 S.W. 1061, 137 Ky. 398, 1910 Ky. LEXIS 583
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedMarch 10, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 125 S.W. 1061 (Goss Exr. v. Ky. Refining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goss Exr. v. Ky. Refining Co., 125 S.W. 1061, 137 Ky. 398, 1910 Ky. LEXIS 583 (Ky. Ct. App. 1910).

Opinion

[399]*399Opinion op the Court by

Judge Nunn.

— Reversing.

On August 4, 1909, Prank. J. Goss instituted an action against appellee, by which he sought to recover damages on account of personal injuries received by him while laboring for it. Goss died a short time after he instituted the action, and appellant, Edward J. Rejss, as executor, filed a petition for a revivor of the action and an amended petition to which a demurrer was interposed by appellee and sustained by the court; and from that judgment this appeal is prosecuted.

Omitting the formal parts, the amended petition is as follows: “The plaintiff, Ed. J. Reiss, states since the filing of the original petition herein that Prank J. Goss departed this life on the 21st day of August, 1909, leaving a last will and testament; that by order of the county court of August 25, 1909, he was duly appointed executor of the estate of said Prank J. Goss, deceased, and qualified as such by giving* bond, all of which appears of record in the Jefferson county court, a certified copy of the order appointing him executor being filed herewith and made a part of this petition. Plaintiff states that for the past several years the decedent was subject to epileptic spells or fits, and that said spells occurred more frequently during the past two or three years previous to the death of decedent, and occurred with such great frequency as to materially weaken decedent’s mind, and that decedent’s mental and physical faculties were considerably impaired thereby. He says that for the past 10 years said Prank J. Goss at various times was employed by the defendant company as a laborer engaged in performing and doing work [400]*400that was not of a dangerous or hazardous character; that the defendant company, through its agents, servants, and' employes superior in authority to decedent knew of his mental weakness and condition, and knew that the said Goss was a sufferer, from, epilepsy, and that previous to April 30,- 1909, the defendant company never employed him to do or perform labor that was dangerous to one suffering from said disease. 'Plaintiff states that-a few days before April 30, 1909, while working for the' defendant company, decedent had an epileptic fit or spell,, and that by reason thereof had ceased to work, which fact was known to the foreman of defendant company; that a short time thereafter decedent was approached by said foreman and requested to begin to go to wox*k for the defendant company.; and that the said Goss did return to work and was employed by the defendant company to cooper barrels or to do -what is known as putting in and fastening barrel heads. Plaintiff says that on April 30, 1909, while said Goss was engaged in a harmless labor, and labor that was not dangerous or hazardous to a person in his condition, the foreman of the defendant company ordered and directed decedent to do what is known as gluing barrels — that is, to pour a liquid known as boiling glue or silica from a tank into a barrel, the liquid being placed therein for the purpose of stopping any leakage or holes that might exist in said barrels — that said liquid, which is known as silica or glue, was kept at a boiling heat in a tank about the size of an ordinary bath tub, the tank being jolaced upon the floor of defendant company. Plaintiff states that it was the duty of the person so employed to glue barrels to also clean said tank after the barrels had been glued by taking off the skim or skum from [401]*401the top of the glue and prepare said silica for use thereafter, and to prepare it in a manner for the silica or glue to be used again for the purpose of gluing barrels. Plaintiff states that the decedent did then and there object to doing this character and kind of work, and so notified the foreman thereof that it might be dangerous in the event he should suffer or have an epileptic fit or spell while engaged in work thereon, and any work of the character herein set out. Plaintiff states that the foreman, although knowing of the weak mental condition of the decedent, assured him that he had but recently had an epileptic spell, and that he, decedent, would not have another for a month or more, and that, further, there were only about 150 barrels that needed gluing, and that it would only require a few hours’ work to glue said barrels, and assured the decedent that he would be in no danger from working this length of time. Plaintiff says that the decedent was told by the foreman of the defendant company that he had to comply with the orders given him, and was given to understand that, unless the decedent did the work ordered, he would be discharged. The plaintiff states that although the decedent realized and knew that he was an epileptic that his mental condition was such that decedent did not and could not appreciate the danger he would be subject to, and did not realize or believe, after he had been assured to the contrary by Ms foreman, who was superior in authority to him, that there would be any danger in complying with the foreman’s orders. Plaintiff states that because of decedent’s lack of sufficient mental faculties he did not and could not appreciate the hazardous and dangerous character of the work he was ordered to do, [402]*402and that, relying upon the assurance and superior knowledge of the foreman that said work was not dangerous or hazardous, or that decedent would not suffer any epileptic fit or spell, said decedent went to work carrying out the orders and instructions of the superior officer. Plaintiff states that within two or three hours after the decedent had been placed to work, as above stated, and while doing the work ordered of him to do, the decedent did have an epileptic spell, and that as a result thereof he fell into the tank containing this glue or silica, which was at a boiling heat. Plaintiff states that both the decedent’s arms, from his elbows down to his finger tips, were scalded and burned, and the flesh thereon cooked to such an extent that his arms were greatly shriveled, that his finger nails were burned off of his hands, and that the glue or silica in said tank burned his face and head, and that the decedent was horribly burned in and upon his face, head and arms, and that, as a .result of said injuries, the use thereof was permanently and entirely destroyed,” etc.

After describing in detail his injuries, suffering, and the manner in which he was treated, which we omit, the petition continues as follows: “Plaintiff states that the decedent, Frank J. Goss, on' account of the injuries received had to employ a physician and surgeon and incurred a liability of $500 for services rendered by said physician and surgeon. Plaintiff states that notwithstanding the fact that the defendant company by its agents and servants superior in authority to decedent knew that the decedent was incompetent and irresponsible, and could not appreciate the danger incident to the character of work he was ordered to do, was placed to do, and per[403]*403forming labor that was hazardous and dangerous, and defendant company failed to provide a reasonably safe place for a person in plaintiff’s mental condition to work and for a person suffering from epilepsy to work, and that, on account thereof, defendant assumed the risk incurred by the decedent at the time decedent was injured.”

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Bluebook (online)
125 S.W. 1061, 137 Ky. 398, 1910 Ky. LEXIS 583, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goss-exr-v-ky-refining-co-kyctapp-1910.